Shattered
by Unknown Soldier Shadow
Summary: After the battle that nearly destroyed ThunderClan, Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather try to unravel the secrets that surround them. The prophecy haunts them still, but more than just words stalk closer to the chosen Three with stars in their paws.
1. Prologue

**Hey! It's Shadow again! If you're reading this for the first time, you need to go back and read my fic Sunrise: My Version FIRST! Otherwise, you won't have the faintest clue what's going on. This is book two! **

**I know I said it was going to be called "Ambush," but that didn't really fit with what I have planned out for this fic; "Shattered" describes it soooo much better. **

**On to the Prologue!**

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Fog was thick on the air, masking all scents and shapes as it descended over the territory. A cat sat on the crest of a hill, his broad-shouldered form outlined in the silver moonlight. His eyes gleamed as it watched a small patrol of scrawny cats pad through their territory, their jaws empty of prey.

The cat narrowed his eyes speculatively, then got to his paws and shook out its longhaired pelt. He began to follow the small group, slowly and carefully, all the while keeping low to the ground, his belly almost brushing the grass below.

"This is all we could find," one of the cats, a small white she-cat, mewed softly. "Our Clan won't eat well this night."

"Nothing we can do about that," a brown-and-white tom mewed bluntly. "We can only hope that green-leaf will bring new prey to the area." His tail drooped in exhaustion, and he limped slightly from a wound on his flank.

The following cat narrowed his eyes appreciatively. "Perfect," he breathed.

The she-cat looked around nervously, but the cat had no fear that she had heard him. "We should hurry back," she said uneasily. "Something's up."

Her companion rolled his eyes, a glint of green catching the light of the moon. "Don't worry," he reassured her. "No cat would dare set paw on our territory for a long while."

They trotted off, their tails almost flat to the ground. The cat following them watched them go; he would let them lead him to their camp—then he would make his move.

The pair of cats took off running as a rabbit sprung into their path, its fear scent filling the air as it caught sight of the cats. It didn't even have time to squeal as the she-cat pounced on it, pinning it down for the tom to quickly take its life.

"Some good luck at last," she mewed. "Thank StarClan!"

The tom grunted. "More like thank us. _We're _the ones that caught it."

The cat watching couldn't hold back a small chuckle.

At once, the two cats whipped around, their pelts bristling. "Who's there?" the tom called, attempting to sound brave and intimidating, but only managing scared. His eyes were wide and dilated with fear.

The first cat stepped out of the shadow of a raggedy tree. He dipped his head politely to the cats, all the while trying to keep a smirk off his face. "Greetings," he mewed. "I would appreciate if you would take me to your leader. You are a Clan, I presume?"

The she-cat looked at him with wide blue eyes. "Who are you?" she demanded. "You look familiar. Are you with the Clans?"

"I am not," he admitted. "Although I may be of help to your leader." He flicked his tail slightly. "Will you take me to your leader?" he repeated.

The two cats shared a glance. "I'm not sure about that," the tom mewed. "We're really not supposed to—"

"Do you want your Clan to be strong?" the longhaired cat pressed, seeing that these two warriors were shying away from him. "I can help you."

The warrior curled his lip. "Our Clan doesn't need help," he spat.

The white she-cat looked uncertain, the loner saw with glee. "Maybe we should just take him and see," she suggested. "We can always chase him out."

The brown-and-white cat looked at her in shock. "Are you…sure?" he asked her.

She turned to look at the strange cat, her head slightly tilted. "Where have I seen you before?" she murmured, half to herself. "You look so familiar."

"I'm a loner," he explained. "There are probably multiple cats that look like me."

"Maybe," she said, but she didn't sound like she completely believed him. She nodded. "We'll lead you to our camp."

The loner dipped his head again, then turned to follow the she-cat, feeling the other warrior come up behind him. "I won't run away," he hinted, but the warrior seemed not to hear; he just readjusted the grip on the rabbit.

The moon filtered down through the fog, turning the landscape into a thick, misty pelt. The longhaired cat watched with amusement as the two warriors leapt at every shadow and flinched at every noise.

"We're near the camp," the she-cat said softly after a while. "The Clan may be sleeping; we need to be quiet."

"Of course," the loner said peaceably. "But I will need to speak to your leader." The pressed forward through a small gap in the camp wall, walking forward into the large camp. He blinked in surprise at the wide space concealed behind the camp wall.

"Over here," the white warrior mewed. To her companion she murmured, "Take that straight to the queens and elders."

The tom narrowed his eyes, giving their guest a pointed stare, then curled his lip and turned away, heading towards a clump of bushes.

"Right in here," the she-cat called, pointing to a cave. "Our leader is in there."

Just as she spoke, another cat padded out of the den, but the light was so dim the loner couldn't tell what color pelt he had. "He's in a bad way," he told the she-cat. "I'm not sure if he's going to be alright." Catching sight of the strange cat loitering in camp, he mewed sharply, "Who's that?"

The loner dipped his head. "Excuse me, but I must speak with your leader. It's a matter of life and death."

The other cat's eyes widened. "Well, it has to be another time. He's just got settled."

"I'm afraid it can't wait." He padded closer to the cat and looked deep into his amber eyes. "I must speak with him now."

The other cat's eyes grew confused for a heartbeat, then he dipped his head and stood aside.

Feeling a spark of satisfaction, the loner brushed past him and stepped into the cool darkness of the den.

"Who's there?" a voice rasped.

"A helper to your Clan," the loner responded truthfully as he peered into the darkness; all that could be seen was the outline of the leader's pricked ears.

"My Clan needs no help," the leader continued, his voice like the sound of wet boulders grinding together; the loner couldn't help wondering what was wrong with the leader that his voice would be so…_unusual_.

"I understand," the loner responded quietly, "but I know what you want and I can help you."

The leader was silent for a heartbeat, then whispered, "What makes you think my Clan needs help?"

"I have heard murmurs of it—of how these Clans are tearing each other apart. I have come to help resolve these conflicts."

"And why did you pick my Clan?" The leader's scratchy voice was full of anger. "Do you believe my Clan is weaker that the others?"

"Of course not." The loner paused thoughtfully. "I have reasons that you don't need to know about. I can help you." He squinted into the gloom of the dark den. "Come into the moonlight so I can see you. Let us talk face-to-face."

The leader laughed, a horrible grating laugh. "I've got to warn you: not even my own Clan can look upon my face without cringing."

The loner stood his ground. "I can take it."

There was the sound of a pain-filled gasp, and the silhouette of a cat grew larger. The cat limped into a splash of light on the stone ground, and the loner could not hold back a grunt of disgust.

The leader's fur was pale brown and tabby, marred with cuts and scratches like a normal warrior's.

But scarred horrifically.

What used to be one side of the cat's face was almost ripped off entirely. His ear was a tattered wreck, and a line of four scars, bright red and infected, ran down from the top of his head, under his chin, and across his throat. One eye was closed permanently and wept sticky tears that stained his face fur a clotted red. His breath came in a raspy wheeze from the thick, knotted scars that crossed his throat.

"I'm not so pretty, huh?" he asked cynically. "Not even my deputy can look at my face; the whole Clan doesn't."

"I…I'm sorry," the loner choked out.

The leader's remaining eye burned with a cold fury. "This," he hissed with a motion to his face, "is why I will accept your help, rogue. I hope you have no aversions to revenge."

The loner narrowed his eyes in anger. "I have none," he spat.

The leader looked heartened by his answer, but no happiness showed on his face; his terrible visage was twisted into a permanent snarl of hate. "This is why you will help me," he rasped. "Together, you and I shall be brothers in war! We shall destroy the other Clans!"

The loner nodded slowly. "What is your name, brother?" he asked.

The leader opened his mouth and bared sharp teeth. "My name is Onestar," he snarled, "and WindClan will accept your help."

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**Ah, Onestar. I don't remember if I've said this before, but I actually think he's a good leader in the books, but somehow he turned out evil in this one. 0.o This is what happens when I don't write an outline.**

**So, I hoped you guys like it! I've got to work on me and Fwirl's co-authored fic Darkness Before Dawn-- check it out!**

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	2. Chapter 1

**Whew! Sorry, guys, but I've been busy! But here's an extra-long chapter to make up for it!**

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The moon was high and round in the sky as Hollyleaf shouldered her way through the undergrowth on her way to the Moonpool. Jayfeather followed directly behind her, his dark tabby pelt blending in to the moonlight-striped shadows on the grassy ground.

His blank eyes gleamed as he padded up to walk at her side. "Are you ready for this?" he asked in a low voice. "It's not every day that a cat becomes leader." He flicked his ears behind him and Hollyleaf stifled an angry hiss as Leafpool padded out.

She shook out her tabby pelt and bounded over to the two cats. "Hollyleaf, I'm so proud of you," she purred, her eyes glowing with more than warrior affection.

Hollyleaf turned her face away, not wanting to look the medicine cat-- her _mother_-- in the face. She would never forgive Leafpool for that, and she couldn't think of her as a mother. "Thanks," she responded frostily. She glanced up at the sky, the first warriors of StarClan now just beginning to gleam in the sky. "How will this work?" she asked, her green eyes not meeting Leafpool's amber. "How do I meet with them?" She flicked her tail.

"We'll go to the Moonpool and all you have to do is drink a sip of the water."

Hollyleaf felt a dull spark of surprise through her nervousness. "That's all it takes?" she responded in shock. "A drink of water?"

Jayfeather flattened his ears. "Not just any water, mousebrain," he retorted. "The Moonpool is a sacred place. You'll see when we get there."

Leafpool glared at him. "Show respect for your new leader, Jayfeather," she chastised him. "She'll meet with StarClan tonight."

"So will we," he grumbled. "You don't see me making a big deal out of it."

"No, we won't." Leafpool's answer surprised Hollyleaf. "Medicine cats don't meet with StarClan when the new leader does."

Jayfeather sighed irritably. "Then why am I here?" he spat. "I could be at camp in my nest right now, instead of stomping halfway across the territory in the cold."

Leafpool, ignoring him, turned back to Hollyleaf. "I've never seen a leader's ceremony, but Cinderpelt told me all about it. In the old territory, there was a stone called the Moonstone and it was the passageway to StarClan for us." Her eyes misted over with memories. "StarClan seemed so mysterious to me when I was an apprentice," she told Hollyleaf. "Now I see them more as friends."

"Yes, because _all_ cats should be friends with their dead ancestors," Jayfeather mewed cheekily.

Leafpool flicked him over the ears with his tail. "Be silent," she snapped. "We're nearing StarClan's territory."

At these mysterious words, Hollyleaf felt another pang of trepidation. Without warning, her thoughts winged back to her fight with Lionblaze, right after she had revealed the truth of Ashfur's death to him.

_"What about StarClan? Do you think they'll accept you now?" he had all but snarled._

_"What, as deputy?" she had asked in confusion._

_"That, and when you die."_

The remembered words had a strange note of finality to them, but she shook them off. _StarClan will accept me_, she thought fiercely. _They have to._

Hollyleaf let out a gasp as she caught her first glimpse at the Moonpool. The smooth surface of the water reflected the stars so clearly that Hollyleaf felt a strange feeling of vertigo looking down at it. She wobbled slightly.

"You alright?" Jayfeather asked. In a lower voice, he added, "It's beautiful, isn't it?" He sounded uncharacteristically wistful.

"Yes," she gasped. "It really is."

Leafpool was already walking down in winding path to the bottom. "Come on, Hollyleaf," she called. "StarClan are waiting!"

Hollyleaf gulped audibly and her brother let out a soft laugh. "Get going." He gave her a rough nudge with his muzzle.

"S-shouldn't you go first?" she stammered through unmoving lips. She felt as if her heart was about to burst from her chest and she wished with all her being that Thornclaw was here: the golden-brown tabby tom always made her feel better with just his presence.

Jayfeather narrowed his pale eyes. "I don't need to be guided," he growled. "But apparently you do." He nudged her again. "Get moving!"

Hollyleaf let out a shaky mew of agreement, then started along the thin path to the bottom. Her paws kept slipping, and looking down, she saw with amazement that paw prints from ancient cats dimpled the stone path all the way down to the bottom. She opened her mouth to tell Jayfeather, but the words got stuck in her dry throat.

Finally she reached the bottom, and looked around at the small space. Cold stone flowed all around the perfectly round pool, freezing Hollyleaf's paws and sending a chill through her.

Leafpool was staring deep into the pool, her eyes wide and vacant, as if she was already seeing the cats of another age. She turned back to look at Hollyleaf. Stars reflected in her eyes and on her pelt as she murmured, "Go and drink. StarClan await your arrival," in a voice that did not sound like her own.

Hollyleaf dipped her head obediently, too anxious and amazed and terrified that she felt no anger towards the medicine cat. She crouched by the edge of the pool and looked back towards the medicine cats. Leafpool gave her a reassuring nod, but Jayfeather's pelt was on edge and his eyes were unusually focused.

Hollyleaf turned back to the pool and gazed at her own perfectly clear reflection, amazed by the glint of starlight in her own green eyes. She bent her head and licked up a single lap of water so cold that it gripped her like a claw. She closed her eyes and rested them on her paws, awaiting the usual quick descent into unconsciousness like she normally had.

But it did not come. She was cold-- colder than she ever been in her entire life. She felt like a cat made of snow and frost-- able to shatter at any heartbeat.

She opened her eyes, fully expecting to see her own face peering back at her, but was totally unprepared for the sight that awaited her.

A clearing wider than the one for Gatherings stood before her, four massive oaks dominating the wide space. In the center of them, a jagged rock shot from the ground, seeming to claw at the sky.

_Where am I?_ she asked herself. _Is this StarClan?_ She flipped her head all around her, looking for any trace of the starry cats she had heard about in stories.

"Not what you were expecting, is it?"

The voice made Hollyleaf whip around, looking for its source. To her surprise, a large ragged gray she-cat was perched on top of the rock, her thick tail tip twitching as she stared at Hollyleaf with unblinking orange eyes.

"Who…who're you?" Hollyleaf rasped. "Are you with StarClan?"

The cat didn't answer her question. Not looking away, she growled, "You don't know where this is, do you?"

Hollyleaf shook her head mutely, her legs beginning to tremble.

The she-cat crossed her front paws and flicked her tail. "This used to be the Gathering-place back in the old territories: Fourtrees. This,"-- she tapped them rock she was laying on with a forepaw-- "was called the Great Rock. The leaders spoke to the Clans from this very spot." She closed her eyes. "All of this was destroyed by the Twolegs."

Hollyleaf shuffled her paws awkwardly, not knowing what to say. "Is this a warning?" she asked finally.

The she-cat turned her piercing gaze back on Hollyleaf. "All messages from StarClan can be taken as warnings," she mewed finally. "Destruction does not always come from Twolegs."

Hollyleaf gasped. "Will ThunderClan be destroyed?" she asked anxiously.

The cat shrugged. "Maybe…or maybe not." She stood and stretched luxuriously, curling her matted tail above her head. Settling back down, she asked, "Well, Hollyleaf? You are kin of ThunderClan and WindClan-- but is your loyalty in question?"

Hollyleaf didn't even need to consider. "Never."

The she-cat looked pleased. "Good, good." She tipped her head back to the stars, her pelt catching the light of the moon and turning it silver. She looked slowly back down at Hollyleaf, her eyes shining with unearthly light. "Welcome, Hollyleaf," she intoned, sounding to Hollyleaf like every voice she had ever heard in her life. "Are you ready to receive your nine lives?"

A shiver ran through Hollyleaf as she watched the she-cat. _StarClan,_ she whispered inside. _StarClan are here_. "I am," she said, wishing she sounded more confident.

From either side of the she-cat on the Great Rock, starry forms began to pad, their pelts burning with white fire and starlight at their paws. Hollyleaf sunk slowly to her belly as the cats of StarClan came into the clearing.

They moved faster than Hollyleaf could have thought possible, and soon walls of spectral cats sat on every side of her, encircling her in their starry radiance.

The closest cats to he were achingly familiar. _Brackenfur, Toadspring!_ she cried in her mind, her tongue tied by the presence of her ancestors. Her former apprentice's amber eyes gleamed as she caught sight of him, and he inclined his head the slightest bit.

A cat from her other side padded towards her, and Hollyleaf turned to greet her, her heart fluttering. "Goldenflower," she mewed in happiness. "I haven't seen you in so long."

The ginger she-cat's eyes glowed but she didn't speak. She dipped her nose to press it against Hollyleaf's forehead; it felt like pure ice against her black fur. "With this life I give you protection," she mewed in her gentle voice that Hollyleaf remembered from her kithood. "Use it to defend your Clan from harm."

Hollyleaf wasn't sure what she was preparing for, but she did not expect this bolt of fury that flowed from Brambleclaw's mother. She bit her lip to keep back a wail of agony as the new life surged into her, sending a vivid image of the Clan to her mind.

As the pain faded and Goldenflower turned back to her place in the circle, a wave of horror swept through her. _I have to go through that eight more times?_ she thought with trepidation. _I'll die! I can't bear it!_

But another cat was already padding up, dark gray pelt rippling with strength. His dark eyes gleamed as he looked down at Hollyleaf on the ground. "You may not remember me," he started, "but--"

"Rainwhisker!" she cried in happiness, a dim memory of him in her mind. "You died so young…"

The warrior dipped his head and pressed his nose against her forehead. "With this life I give you loyalty. Use it well to understand when it is your time to step back."

As the life flowed into her, Hollyleaf's vision went dark and shadowed. Driving rain pounded at Hollyleaf's back as she dragged a rabbit nearly as big as her though the forest. A crack of thunder sounded above her and a bolt of lightning shattered a nearby tree, sending a thick branch crashing down from above. She didn't even have time to move before it came down on her, filling her vision with a film of red. She clamped her teeth on a screech of pain.

Hollyleaf gasped wildly as her sight returned to her, knowing that she had just witnessed Rainwhisker's last moments. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "I…I'm sorry," she whispered.

But the warrior showed no pain or terror now as he nodded once to her, then padded back to his place.

Hollyleaf cast her eyes around for the next StarClan cat, completely overlooking the next small cat that padded up to her. "Molepaw?" she asked in astonishment.

The little brown tom gazed at her with warm eyes. He touched his nose to hers and mewed, "With this life I give you perseverance. Use it to give your Clanmates strength in the darkest times."

The pain was less intense this time as she walked with Molepaw back through the last moments of his life, and the strength with which he fought his illness before finally succumbing to greencough.

As she regained consciousness, every nerve in her body was on fire.

The next cat up was Toadspring. His black-and-white pelt was sparkling with starlight as he approached. He tilted his head to one side as he looked at his former mentor. "Thank you, Hollyleaf," he mewed. "You stayed with me the whole time-- you never left me in the dark." He touched his nose to hers. "With this life I give you mentoring. Use it to train the young cats of your Clan."

Toadspring's life felt like pure, liquid fire on Hollyleaf's shattered nerves, setting her pelt aflame with its strength. She felt Tigerpaw's claws in her throat, but also felt Toadspring's joy at every bit of praise Hollyleaf gave him, and how much he cherished the feeling of finally getting a battle move just right. As he pulled back, Hollyleaf got a new impression of him, and how bravely he dealt with his death.

"Toadspring, you were a wonderful apprentice," she choked out. "I'll never forget you."

He looked back over his shoulder and let out a slight purr, before settling back down beside another familiar cat who padded up next.

Hollyleaf let out a wistful sigh as she looked into the familiar amber eyes of her own mentor. "Brackenfur," she whispered. "It's all my fault that you died."

Brackenfur just gazed at her with warmth in his gaze before touching his nose to her head. "With this life I give you forethought. Use it to make the best decisions for your Clan."

The life that poured into Hollyleaf nearly slammed her to the ground. Brackenfur's long life was filled with memories of his love for his mate, Sorreltail, his loyalty to his Clan, and his dedication to all of his apprentices. His life was a treasure to Hollyleaf and she withstood the pain just for him-- to have a better knowledge of the brave cat that he was.

He stepped away without another word, but the usual good humor was back in his eyes as he stepped back into the starry ranks.

_Four to go,_ she thought, a flutter of exhaustion making her legs shake._ I can do it._

A tortoiseshell padded up next, the sweet scent of herbs clinging to her pelt. "I am Spottedleaf, dear one: the medicine cat of ThunderClan long, long ago" she murmured to Hollyleaf. "I aided your brother in a tight spot more than once." She let out a little purr of amusement, before touching her nose to Hollyleaf's. "With this life I give you love. Use it for all of your Clan as well as your enemies."

This life had no pain. Hollyleaf let out a blissful sigh as the warm feeling of contentment flowed through her aching body, cleansing her of all the pain she had suffered from the other lives. She opened her eyes and blinked in thanks to the former medicine cat, but she had already moved away.

There was a moment of stillness, perfect silence. Hollyleaf looked around uneasily at many, many sets of eyes that were fixed on her. She narrowed her eyes in confusion as their ranks parted, leaving a shimmering pathway that the ragged she-cat that first spoke on the Great Rock to prowl down like a lion. She stopped before Hollyleaf, her eyes burning with a force stronger than fire.

"I am Yellowfang," she announced proudly, "and I know the pain and indecision that you are going through. I, too, felt the pull of two Clans, but I chose right in the end." She stooped forward to touch her nose to Hollyleaf's head. "With this life I give you wisdom. Use it well to follow through with your battle plans."

As the life entered Hollyleaf, she nearly dropped to the ground in agony. She felt this strange she-cat's torn loyalties between her birth Clan of ShadowClan and her Clan by choice. Hollyleaf felt all and struggled with Yellowfang until the process was over and she was panting in the starry clearing again.

Yellowfang looked down at her with unfathomable eyes, then turned without a word and padded back into the clearing, nodding to a blue-gray she-cat that took her place.

"Bluestar," Hollyleaf whispered. "Are you really her?"

"I am," the former leader answered simply. "You, as the next leader, will have many troubles and face difficult decisions." She touched her nose to Hollyleaf and meowed, "With this life I give you faith. Use it to guide yourself and your Clan out of the dark."

Hollyleaf dug her claws into the soft soil as Bluestar's life poured into her. She bit back a wordless yowl of pain as she felt a reverberated echo of Bluestar's loss of faith in StarClan, and how it had nearly driven the leader mad. Bluestar waited until Hollyleaf could stand before mewing, "Be strong. There is but one life left."

Hollyleaf wanted to argue with her, but she couldn't find the words. She stared with gaping jaws at the final cat to approach.

Firestar.

He was no longer the aged leader, but young and strong, clearly back in the prime of his life. "My kin," he greeted warmly. "I knew that you would be a great leader and I was correct."

Hollyleaf didn't argue with him; she just stared into his shimmering eyes, losing herself in their starry radiance.

He laughed and touched his nose to her head. "With this life I give you judgment and certainty. Use these traits well to revive ThunderClan's spirits."

Hollyleaf shuddered at the memory of Firestar's last moments: struck down by the claws of an old ally. She mourned with him over the loss of many, many ThunderClan warriors, worried and stressed with him over the Clan. She shook her head from side-to-side as the memories of prey caught, battles won, territory marked…it was so much information in such a quick and agonizing way.

But as soon as it was there it was gone, and she stood and faced StarClan, feeling she could race all the way back to camp and not be tired.

Firestar stepped back and gazed proudly at Hollyleaf. "I hail you by your new name, Hollystar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of ThunderClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity."

"Hollystar! Hollystar!" The cats of StarClan called out her name proudly, and Hollystar soaked up all their praise with a high-lifted head.

"Thank you," she whispered to Firestar. "For everything."

Firestar looked back at her with deep green eyes. "Hollystar, beware the crouching enemy, for it will block out the stars."

"What—" Hollystar started, but Firestar reached out and licked her once over the ear.

"Sleep," he murmured, and the ground dropped out from under her and she plummeted into the darkness.

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**Yay for extra-long chapters! And a leadership ceremony: how cool is that?**

**Guess what, guys? I got second place in a writing contest for a novel I wrote! -happy dances-**

**Thank you, please proceed. XD**

**Shadow**


	3. Chapter 2

**I've noticed recently that my chapters keep getting shorter and shorter. -hides- I sorry! :D**

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Lionblaze was worried.

His gaze flickered to his mate beside him more than once in the span of a few heartbeats. _Will she be all right? _he worried. _Will she ever be able to bear kits again? _The thoughts tortured him as he stared down at her gently breathing form.

Leafpool had decided just before she went to the Moonpool that Cinderheart was well enough to return to the warriors' den. "She needs plenty of rest," she had told Lionblaze. "She mustn't overexert herself."

Lionblaze had agreed readily enough, and made sure that the gray tabby she-cat hadn't wandered more than a few tail-lengths from the camp.

Cinderheart wasn't taking this treatment happily. "I'm fine!" she had insisted. "I don't need cats worrying over me. I'm fine." She had repeated this over and over again, sounding less and less convicted with every repetition.

Now, watching his mate sleep comfortably, Lionblaze felt at peace. He bent his head to lick her gently on the soft fur between her ears, receiving a sleepy mew in return. _I wonder how Hollyleaf is doing? _he thought. _Has she gotten her nine lives yet?_

A small spark of anger flooded his belly: Hollyleaf—the code-loving do-gooder—was going to be his leader. He barely stifled an annoyed hiss. _How can she be leader? _he railed internally. _I would have made a better leader: I'm stronger, more powerful, fully ThunderClan—_He stopped short, guilt flooding through his pelt.

Sighing, he snarled at himself. _That was low, _he mused. _Even if she's not my sister…we're still littermates. _The thought filled him with happiness, and he stood up, gently shaking moss out of his pelt and padding into the pale dawn light.

Most of the Clan was still asleep in their nests, but a few early-risers were already picking at the fresh-kill pile. Padding over to Cloudtail, he murmured a good morning.

"Yeah," Cloudtail muttered, only half paying attention to the golden warrior. "You, too."

Lionblaze purred. "How's Whitewing's kits?" he asked, knowing that was what was on the white warrior's mind.

Sure enough, Cloudtail's eyes glowed. "Getting bigger every day," he announced happily. "Rainkit's going to be a great hunter—I can tell."

An image of the little kit filled Lionblaze's mind. "Have they opened their eyes yet?"

Cloudtail shook his head. "Not for another moon or so." He flicked Lionblaze's shoulder friendlily, then plucked a mouse off the pile and headed to the nursery.

Lionblaze watched him go with a familiar pang of sorrow. He would never know the joys of being a father if Cinderheart didn't heal. He was surprised by the strength of his emotion, the shook it off and grabbed a vole from the pile. He padded over to the crushed half-rock and laid down by himself.

Ripping a mouthful from his vole, Lionblaze glanced up to the Highledge, sticking out imperially from the sheer cliff face. Another pang of anger seared through him, and he looked away with narrowed eyes. He bit his next bite with a little more force than necessary.

An alarm call rang out, and Lionblaze leapt to his paws, claws already unsheathed and ready to rip into enemy fur. His hackles flattened when he recognized Jayfeather and Leafpool pad in, followed quickly by Hollyleaf.

Bounding up to them, he asked, "Well? Did you receive your nine lives?"

She nodded, pride and happiness gleaming in her green eyes. "I'm Hollystar now," she murmured.

Fighting down his anger, he mewed, "Congratulations, Hollystar." He did not dip his head to her.

Overlooking this, Hollystar glanced around the camp. "How is everyone?" she asked him in a whisper. "How are they dealing with the losses?" Her eyes gleamed with pain as she surely thought to the death of her apprentice, Toadspring.

Lionblaze shook his head. "All's well," he assured her. Looking past her to Jayfeather, he mewed, "Are you alright?"

Jayfeather nodded, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. "Yeah, yeah," he agreed slowly. "It's fine." He sidestepped Lionblaze and Leafpool and padded towards his den without another word.

Shaking off his bizarre behavior, he turned to Leafpool. "Can I have a word with my leader?" he asked scathingly. "_Alone?" _

A trace of hurt crossed the medicine cat's face, but she nodded and followed after her apprentice.

Turning back to Hollystar, he asked, "So, how was it?"

Hollystar's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You know I'm not supposed to talk about it," she said bluntly. "What are you really asking?"

Lionblaze hesitated, then decided to give it a try. "I want to know if you saw Ashfur in StarClan."

Her green eyes flared in surprise. "Why do you care?" she asked in a low voice, her tone scathing. "Is this some way to try to ask if I was accepted by StarClan? Because I _was."_ She unsheathed her claws and sank them into the sandy ground.

Lionblaze let out an impatient sigh. "I was asking about Ashfur," he said, sounding calmer that he felt. "Touchy much?"

Hollystar didn't look like she believed him. "StarClan accepted me," she repeated. "It doesn't matter that I killed that traitor. He deserved it anyway."  
Lionblaze gritted his teeth, not wanting to start something with her. "Did you see Ashfur or not?"

Hollystar shook her head. "I didn't see him," she admitted grudgingly.

_Probably because he's furious at you, _Lionblaze growled silently. Aloud, he mewed, "Well, congratulations again, Hollystar." He barely inclined his head. "You'll make a good leader." A thought occurred to him. "Who's going to be your deputy? Have you decided yet?"

She nodded. "I decided on the way back from the Moonpool. I think I chose wisely." She narrowed her eyes and let out a teasing purr. "You know it isn't you, right? You haven't had an apprentice."

Lionblaze opened his mouth to protest, but Hollystar cut him off, her green eyes amused.

"I'm just kidding around," she mewed, flicking him affectionately with her tail tip. "How would you like to mentor one of Millie's kits? It's about time they became apprentices."

A thrill of excitement flooded through him at her words. _A mentor! _"Thanks, Hollystar!" he said happily.

She brushed her muzzle alongside his shoulder, then her eyes clouded. "What are we going to do about _her?" _She motioned angrily to the medicine den. "She is _not _my mother."

Lionblaze wrinkled his lip. "I don't want to think about her," he spat.

Hollystar nodded approvingly. "We can't tell the Clan—I couldn't bear any cat knowing that I'm half-Clan."

Lionblaze licked her between the ears. "No cat would ever believe her," he murmured consolingly. He hesitated, then asked, "Are you going to tell Thornclaw?"

She let out a low mew of confusion. "I'm…I'm not sure," she mewed at last. "What will he think of me…?" She shook her head.

"He'll still think you're the greatest thing ever," Lionblaze joked. "I don't know _what _gave him that impression."

Hollystar aimed a sheathed forepaw at his ear, then turned to look at the Clan. More cats were walking around now, stretching in the new-leaf warmth shining through the branches or picking at the fresh-kill pile. "I lead them now," she said simply.

Lionblaze gave her a false-hearty nudge that nearly knocked her off her paws. "Pick a good deputy," he mewed. "Clans are run with _two _cats."

Hollystar looked at him speculatively. "I know that," she retorted in a voice that clearly questioned his sanity. "Why don't you take out a hunting patrol or something?"

He bit back a retort at her abruptness. "Shouldn't you name the deputy?" he hinted.

She let out a sigh. "I have until moonhigh," she reminded him. "Most of the Clan isn't awake anyway." She nudged his shoulder. "Go check on Cinderheart and report back to me." Without another word, she padded away to speak to Dustpelt, who was plucking a rabbit off the fresh-kill pile. The tabby bent his head and nodded in response to something Hollystar said.

Looking away and feeling the now-familiar sear of jealousy burn through his pelt, as palpable as heat. He turned away in disgust, at Hollystar and himself for being so weak.

"Hey, Lionblaze."

Turning towards the voice, he was surprised to see Cinderheart. "You should be resting," he fussed. "You're still not fully healed."

His mate made no notice of his words; she butted his shoulder with her head. "Let's go hunt," she suggested, running her tail down his flank.

Lionblaze was alarmed. "No way! You need to stay in camp. I'll get you a piece of fresh-kill; you just wait here."

Annoyance sparked in her blue eyes, but she dipped her head and sat down.

Relieved, Lionblaze quickly trotted over to the fresh-kill pile and stood for a few heartbeats, choosing between a fat pigeon and a squirrel. He dipped his head and grabbed the pigeon, hurrying back and dropping it at Cinderheart's paws. "Eat all of it," he told her.

Sighing, she dutifully began to pluck the feathers off. Pausing, she looked up and muttered, "Thanks," in such a grim voice that Lionblaze laughed. She glared at him for a heartbeat before she joined in. "Really, though…thanks, Lionblaze." She looked down at her paws. "I wasn't sure if…" She trailed off.

"If what?" He looked into her deep blue eyes. "What is it? You know you can tell me anything."

She looked up at him. Taking a deep breath, she said quickly, "I wasn't sure if you'd stay with me after I lost the kits." She dropped her gave again, her pelt prickling with embarrassment.

Lionblaze was stunned for a moment. "That's ridiculous!" he said at last, getting a hurt look from her in return. "I mean," he said hastily back-tracking, "I could never do that. Cinderheart look at me," he mewed, seeing her eyes fixed on her paws. "I love you," he whispered.

Her blue eyes glowed. "I love you, too, Lionblaze," she murmured, and pressed her nose into his fur. He rested his chin on top of her head and breathed in her comforting scent. "But what…what if we can never have kits?" she asked softly.

Sighing, Lionblaze nuzzled her ears. "Then at least we'll have each other." He gave her a loving lick over the ear. "Forever," he vowed.

Cinderheart laughed, then scooted over so he could take a bite of pigeon. "That sounds good to me," she replied, her eyes glittering with all the radiance of the sun rising in the sky above.

* * *

**Ugh. I am _so_ not good at writing sappy scenes. Maybe, I should kill off Cinderheart so I don't have to worry about that. -evil grin-**

**Just kidding, guys, but I _will _be killing off some other cats...but not yet. I already have it all planned out who I'm gonna knock off, and I'm sure you guys are going to _love _it. ^^**

**Oh, and I read Sunrise. Was it just me, or was that the most fail book in the whole series? Although it did mess up my Sunrise fic, but I got some things right! -happy dances-**

**Shadow**


	4. Chapter 3

**Let me start off by saying, "I'M SORRY!!" Really, I am. It's been a week since I last posted, I believe, and that's too long. But anyhow...on to the chapter! This one's full of foreshadowing-- just for you guys. ^^**

* * *

The shingle was smooth and cool under Jayfeather's paws as he lifted his nose into the air, drawing in a deep breath for any trace of borage. His pelt itched to be out of the medicine den, and even though Leafpool already had plenty, he had taken it upon himself to go out and search.

He thought back with irritation at the medicine cat's new behavior now that her secret was out-- all secrets gone now, the barriers stripped away and gone as if they had never existed. Leafpool would give his pelt gentle licks or stroke her tail down his flank as he passed by, mewing affectionate praises in her soft voice.

And he resented it.

Jayfeather wanted nothing more than for her to never mention her secret again…he wished that he could be back to the normal apprentice that he used to be. _Well, "normal" is a pretty broad word, _he thought sarcastically, thinking to his ability to feel other's emotions. Shaking off his dismal thoughts, Jayfeather padded farther up the shore towards the soft grass he knew was in a small clearing ahead.

He let out a sigh as he settled into a sunny patch, the sun warm on his back, and rested his head on his paws. Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine what the Clan was doing at this very heartbeat. Hollystar was probably trying to figure out what cat she should appoint as deputy, worrying and fussing like she normally did. Lionblaze would be jealous. _As usual, _Jayfeather grumbled internally. He wished that the golden warrior would just accept that Firestar had chosen Hollystar and not him.

_Firestar. _Jayfeather sighed and curled onto his side, tucking his nose in the thick fur of his tail as a wave of sadness washed over him. _He probably knows about our secret now, _he worried. _Will he try to contact Sandstorm or someone else and tell them? _Jayfeather immediately dismissed that idea: Firestar wouldn't use his new StarClan powers to hurt the Clan any more than they already were.

Snuggling even deeper into the soft grass, he parted his jaws in a long yawn. "They shouldn't miss me for a while," he murmured to no one. "I could probably stay here all day." Just as the words left his mouth, Jayfeather felt the slow, strong pull of unconsciousness tugging at his paws, carrying him away from the clearing and into sleep.

Jayfeather blinked open his eyes in surprise as he found himself in unfamiliar forest. Realizing he was in a dream, he parted his jaws and breathed in. "No scent," he said, puzzled. He peered in every direction, but all he could see were endless trees.

He began to pad among the pale trunks, feeling his pelt prickle with uneasiness. A sudden crackling sound nearly scared him out of his fur, and he whipped in the direction of it with bared teeth, his tail fluffed out to twice its size. "Who's there?" he called, forcing his voice to sound strong and fearless, while on the inside he was shaking.

A low chuckle rang through the clearing. "We meet again, huh, Jaykit?"

Jayfeather's eyes widened in surprise. "It's you again," he spat. "The one from my dream a moon ago." He remembered the gleam of eyes-- eyes filled to the brim with hate and malice.

A shadow padded closer to him, but Jayfeather still could not make out the pelt color. "Jaykit, Jaykit." The voice-- male or female, Jayfeather couldn't tell-- was bitterly sarcastic and mocking. "Don't you know not to poke your nose into things? You might get _hurt!"_

Jayfeather let out a started hiss as the cat swung at him with unsheathed claws. Jayfeather barely ducked away in time, and he whirled panting to retaliate, but the cat had moved to the shadows again.

"So you _can _move those paws, huh? I always thought you were worthless," the cat continued on casually. "I never thought that you would be anything to your Clan-- anything but a hassle, a pain."

Jayfeather snarled. "Who are you?" he hissed, his claws sinking into the ground. "Who gave you the right to judge me?"

The cat laughed, a cold sound filled with cynicism. "ThunderClan ruined my life," the cat explained. "I would do _anything _to make sure they didn't exist."

Jayfeather opened his mouth to reply angrily, but the cat leapt, pinning Jayfeather to the ground with thorn-sharp claws. Jayfeather let out a shocked gasp, then yowled as the cat dug his claws deeper into his tabby pelt, drawing blood that left scarlet streaks within the black stripes.

The cat bent its head to whisper in Jayfeather's ear, "You better watch out, Jaykit. I'm going to be right behind you _all the time._" He curled his claws in Jayfeather's skin, and he let out a screech of agony. "Keep your eyes peeled, ThunderClan rat. I'll be seeing you soon."

The weight vanished from Jayfeather's back, and he sat up quickly, feeling his head spin from lack of air and the wounds bleed profusely. _What…what was that!? _He panted wildly, casting his eyes around the clearing, but no cat was in sight.

Jayfeather looked down at his paws, and felt a shock like lightning pass through him.

His pelt was changing color.

He watched with wide eyes as his blood ran down the fur of his foreleg, staining the normal gray a deep crimson. Even after the drip passed by, the fur still stayed dark…so dark that it almost seemed…

Dark brown tabby. A haunting shade only found on Brambleclaw and--

"Welcome back, Jayfeather."

Jayfeather felt his head spin with the strangeness of it all. "Tigerstar?" he rasped, too stunned to be angry or scared.

The former ShadowClan leader narrowed his burning amber eyes speculatively. "So you know now," he stated simply.

Jayfeather knew what he was talking about immediately. "It doesn't matter," he spat. "You aren't my kin."

Tigerstar tilted his head, motioning to Jayfeather's back with his tail. "We don't look so different now, do we?"

Jayfeather twisted his head around to peer at his back: the gray had darkened to brown, just like on his paws. He reached out with a paw to scrape at the fur in panic.

Tigerstar laughed. "You can't change who you are, Jayfeather. You know, I was like you once-- I wanted to be a great warrior when I was younger than you are now." He narrowed his eyes. "Certain things stood in my way-- annoyances and such-- so I got rid of them." He sat down and wrapped his tail around his paws.

Jayfeather took a step towards him, his now-brown tabby neck fur bristling. "You were willing to wade through blood to get what you wanted," he spat. "Why would any cat in their right mind follow in your pawsteps?" He let out a contemptuous snort. "Not even your own kits wanted to be like you."

"I beg to differ." A new voice wafted in on the slight breeze, as a dark tom with icy eyes padded in to sit next to the hulking form of Tigerstar.

"Hawkfrost," Tigerstar greeted coolly. "My _only _kit."

Hawkfrost smirked. "Looks like your father is nothing," he hissed to Jayfeather.

"But not in the way you think, my son. Brambleclaw is not his father like you thought."

The dark tabby looked astonished. "What…what are you saying?" he asked his father, his eyes wide. "You didn't tell me that he's not Brambleclaw's kit?"

Tigerstar looked down at him with unfathomable eyes. "No. I didn't."

Jayfeather watched the exchange between father and son with unblinking eyes. He could feel the change in his fur color sweeping over his pelt, tainting his fur with Tigerstar's mark, but he didn't say a word.

"Well, why not?!" Hawkfrost was on his paws now, his ears flattened and his pale eyes dangerous. "I'm your son, aren't I?!"

Tigerstar glared at him. "Sit down, Hawkfrost," he said calmly. "We have company."

"Forget him!" Hawkfrost hissed. "He's not of our blood; what does he matter?"

At once, Tigerstar reached up and cuffed his son under the chin with unsheathed claws; Hawkfrost stumbled back in shock, blood dripping down his chin. "Don't speak about what you don't understand," Tigerstar snarled dangerously. He dropped his chin to glare at his son with poisonous amber eyes. "You truly take after your mother. No son of a warrior would ever question me-- your blood is polluted by that kittypet."

Hawkfrost looked livid. "Don't speak about her that way!" he shouted, taking a step towards the giant tabby, "or I'll--"

"You'll what?" Tigerstar didn't wait for an answer. "Insolent kit. It's time you learned your lesson. Just because you live in the dark forest doesn't mean you're a big bad cat." He flattened his ears. "You have to _earn _it."

Hawkfrost let out a fierce screech and tackled Tigerstar, attempting to bowl the larger cat off his paws. Tigerstar met him with a curled lip and sharp fangs, and the two cats turned into a shrieking bundle of tussling fur.

Jayfeather was shocked by the sudden fight, and quickly turned tail and ran back through the mass of trees, fleeing the battle between kin. The pale trunks looked like lost spirits of StarClan in the dismal forest as Jayfeather ran as fast as he could. _Wake up! Wake up! _he chanted inside his head as he looked wildly around him. _Wake up already!_

A pair of gleaming eyes glowed from the gap between two trees, and the cat's white teeth shone in the half-light. Jayfeather let out a wail of terror and pushed himself faster, his paws going numb from the strain.

At last there was a break in the endless trees, and Jayfeather stopped to pant and wheeze. "This is crazy!" he whispered raggedly. "Where am I? Is this Tigerstar's forest?"

A small pool caught his eye, and he turned towards it gladly. _It's just like the Moonpool, _he sighed happily. _Just like it! _But as he stepped closer, he saw that this pool didn't reflect the stars like the Moonpool did-- shadows danced around the edges of the stagnant water, creating swirls and clouds of smoke-like mist that gathered and parted like a storm. With a thrill of dread, Jayfeather recognized the same choking darkness from his dreams. _Is this it? _he questioned himself. _Is this where the dreams come from? _

Against all reason, he stepped closer, so close that the black water lapped at his paws. Fighting the urge to flee, he looked into the pool's depths.

"No!" The cry was torn from his throat, and he wrenched himself away from the dark water, fear rising bitterly in his stomach, churning in his mind until he thought he would go mad.

"Jayfeather!"

Jayfeather gasped wildly, and pulled himself into a sitting position, the soft scents of the forest and wakefulness driving the memory of the reflection in the pool from his mind. "I'm fine," he wheezed. "I'm fine."

Leafpool's thoughts were concerned as she leaned over him. "You were gone so long I got worried," she explained. "What did you see?"

He knew that she was talking about his dream. "Nothing," he said nonchalantly, but his pelt still quivered with fear. He brushed a paw down his side as if he could still feel the dark brown color creeping through his fur. "Just a nightmare."

"Tell me about it." Her voice was gentle. "It might be a sign from StarClan."

Jayfeather shuddered. _I hope not, _he thought grimly. Shrugging the medicine cat off, he repeated, "I'm fine! Stop fussing over me."

Outrage and hurt flooded from her pelt. "You're my apprentice," she whispered. "More than that even. Why don't you trust me?"

Jayfeather let out an annoyed sigh. "Let me think about it for a while, _then _I'll tell you."

"Alright," she agreed readily, brushing her tail down his side. "You're bleeding."

"Am I?" He twisted his head around to sniff at the punctures caused by the strange cat's claws. A flutter of panic swept through him. "I must have cut myself on a branch," he explained lamely. "I'll go put some marigold on it right away." Without another word, he pushed past Leafpool and started towards camp, feeling as if those dark eyes were still watching him, even from the forest.

He closed his eyes as the reflection in the black pool filled his mind. Shivering even though it was a warm day, he tried to ignore his dread but couldn't. _My eyes, _he murmured. _I had Tigerstar's murderous eyes. _

* * *

**Yay yay! Lots and lots of foreshadowing in this chapter, just to let you know. This pretty much sets up the rest of the story, so remember it well. **

**And on a more depressing note, my glasses broke today, so I'm wearing old ones to type this chapter. I'm sorry if there were any typos, so could you guys be awesome and point them out? Thanks!**

**Shadow**


	5. Allegiances

**Don't get excited, guys. This is only the allegiences, as requested by Swiftpaw of WindClan. Sorry I didn't wait for your reply, Swiftpaw-- I got waaay too excited at the prospect of allegiances. :D **

**I arranged them by age and seniority-- the way the Erins should have. Squirrelflight, perfect Mary-Sue as she may be, does _not _deserve to be listed at the top of the list of senior warriors. That honor goes to a much cooler cat: Dustpelt. **

**Aaaaaaand, Ferncloud, as she will not be having kits in my fic, is back on the warriors list. -collective "yay"- Daisy, however, is a useless lump of fur who will remain in the nursery, doing who-knows-what to fill the empty void in her life that Cloudtail left. ^^ ****On that note, remember when she said she'd go back to Smoky when her kits were warriors? Did the Erins forget about that or something? -adds to list of errors done by Erins- **

**Please, _please _point out anything that you see me mess up. I don't want to end up like an Erin-- forgetting key details and messing up pelt colors. -_-'**

**

* * *

**

**Allegiances**

**Leader:**

Hollystar - black she-cat with green eyes

**Deputy:**

?

**Medicine Cat:**

Leafpool - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

_Apprentice, Jayfeather_

**Warriors:**

Dustpelt - dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat

Graystripe - long-haired gray tom

Thornclaw - golden brown tabby tom

_Apprentice, Rosepaw_

Brightheart - white she-cat with ginger splashes

Ferncloud - pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat with green eyes

Cloudtail - long-haired white tom

Sorreltail - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Squirrelflight - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Spiderleg - long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall - light brown tabby tom

Berrynose - cream-colored tom

Hazeltail - small gray-and-white she-cat

Mousewhisker - gray-and-white tom

Cinderheart - gray tabby she-cat

Honeyfern - light brown tabby she-cat

Poppyfrost - tortoiseshell she-cat

Lionblaze - golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Foxclaw - reddish tabby tom

Icepelt - white she-cat

**Apprentices:**

Jayfeather - gray tabby tom

Rosepaw - dark cream she-cat

**Queens:**

Millie - striped gray tabby she-cat, mother of Graystripe's kits: Briarkit (dark brown she-cat), Bumblekit (very pale gray tom with black stripes), and Blossomkit (white she-cat with tortoiseshell patches)

Daisy - cream long-furred she-cat from the horseplace

Whitewing - white she-cat with green eyes, mother of Birchfall's kits: Oakkit (ginger dappled tabby she-cat with white paws), and Rainkit (long-haired gray tom with darker flecks)

**Elders:**

Mousefur - small dusky brown she-cat, oldest cat in ThunderClan

Longtail - pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight

Brambleclaw - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes, severely broken foreleg

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**Isn't that question mark under "deputy" delightfully infuriating? XD I don't want to ruin it for you guys, but I think you'll be happy with my choice of deputy.**

**I would say "Read and review," but there isn't really anything to read _or _review. I'm sorry! ^^**

**Shadow**


	6. Chapter 4

**I don't really like how this chapter turned out, for some reason. -shrugs- **

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Hollystar didn't know what she would expect as she took her first pawstep into Firestar's-- _her-- _den, but she was not anticipating the crushing sorrow as she looked at the nest that her beloved leader had once occupied.

Padding up to the soft moss and feathers, she dipped her head and breathed in the scent of the nest, dismay overcoming her when there was no scent. She scraped up the moss a little, until she detected the faint scent of Rosepaw. Sitting back on her haunches, she thought, _She must have been in here to change the nest already. _A plump mouse at the corner of the den confirmed her thoughts.

She plucked the mouse from the cool, sandy ground and settled onto the nest, ripping a mouthful of meat. _I'm leader now, _she mused with pride as she chewed. _I command ThunderClan. _She narrowed her eyes. _But I need a deputy first._

She went through each ThunderClan cat in her head as she ate, thinking carefully over the choice. What about Sandstorm? The she-cat was a great mentor, and her kin as well, but something held her back. _She's old, _Hollystar realized. _She can't keep up with the best hunters anymore. _But the she-cat was wise, and Hollystar admired her.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, her mind wandered to Dustpelt. She frowned. He was a good mentor, true enough, but he lacked the patience for dealing with the littler Clan problems.

Thornclaw? Hollystar felt a warm flutter in her belly at the thought of the golden brown warrior. _The Clan know how close the two of us are, though. They may think that I play favorites. _She sighed angrily and pushed the remains of her meal away.

Looking down at the mouse bones, she had a sudden revelation-- the absolute perfect deputy. _Why didn't I think of that warrior before!? _she questioned herself. _He'll be a perfect deputy! _

She stood and stretched, her back muscles protesting from the strain. She gave her pelt a shake, then padded outside her den and onto the Highledge. The moon was fat and round in the sky-- the Gathering was only a night away, she thought with a thrill of excitement. _Soon all of the Clans will know that I lead, _she thought fiercely. _Then they will fear ThunderClan as well they should._

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting." As she yowled the ancient call, she felt a spark of satisfaction that she hadn't even had to use her power. _They will listen to me now-- no matter what._

Lionblaze and Cinderheart were already there, the golden warrior nuzzling his mate and whispering to her. Hollystar felt a spark of jealousy that Lionblaze was closer to Cinderheart than she was herself. But then Thornclaw padded into the clearing and sat at the base of the ledge, as close to Hollystar as he could get. His amber eyes glittered in his upturned face, and his tabby pelt turned to silver in the moonlight.

She watched him softly for a heartbeat, then looked up for her brother. Jayfeather had just padded out of the medicine den, his ears flattened and his tail lashing. A moment later, Hollystar knew why: Leafpool padded out of the den and bustled up to him, murmured soft words in his ear. He turned away from her sharply, and Hollystar felt a spark of satisfaction. _I'll never forgive her, _she whispered internally. _Her or that WindClan cat. _

Squirrelflight's green eyes were proud as she watched Hollystar. The black she-cat nodded to the cat she had once thought was her mother, then turned away, a strange feeling in her belly. She coughed and gasped for air, and the feeling eventually faded. _What was that? _she thought with dread. _Am I sick? _

Pushing it aside, Hollystar began to speak. "I have decided on who the next cat to be deputy of ThunderClan is. I have thought long and hard, and believe my choice to be the best." She paused, then raised her eyes to StarClan, searching each star hungrily, wondering which one was Firstar. "I say these words before the spirit of Firestar so he may hear and approve my choice. Graystripe will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

The gray warrior's face filled with shock mingled with pride. He walked slowly up the rock pile to the Highledge to stand beside Hollystar. "T-thank you, Hollystar," he stuttered, his eyes still wide with surprise.

"I think that Firestar would definitely approve of you being deputy," she mewed warmly.

Graystripe padded out to the edge and mewed, "I will try hard to bring honor to ThunderClan and make our Clan well-fed and safe." His yellow eyes searched out his mate's, Millie's, and he purred.

"Graystripe! Graystripe!" The Clan called out his name as if he was a newly-named warrior. He lifted his head proudly, then leapt down to be tackled by his kits-- only Blossomkit held back, her blue eyes reserved.

A thought leapt into her head-- the memory of herself telling Millie she'd make her kits apprentices soon. "There is one more task before we break here," she called. "Rosepaw is the only apprentice now, and she's had to work twice as hard as any other cat in the past few days." Her eyes sought out the dark cream apprentice, and saw her with her eyes dropped modestly.

"She's done a good job, too," Longtail called out firmly. Several other cats mewed in agreement.

Hollystar dipped her head. "That being said, we need more apprentices. And I know just the three." She fixed her gaze on Millie's kits, who were looking hopeful. "Can you three come down here, please?" She let out a purr of amusement as Bumblekit and Briarkit charged forwards, only to be stopped in place by their mother.

"Come back here," she scolded. "Let me fix your fur."

"Millie," Briarkit whined. "I want to be an apprentice!"

"And you will be soon." Graystripe padded forward, his eyes gleaming with good humor. He twisted his head behind and him mewed, "Blossomkit? Come here, little one."

The little tortoiseshell-splashed she-cat walked over to her father slowly, dragging her paws. "I'm coming, Graystripe," she mewed softly.

A worried look crossed Millie's face, but she dipped to smoothen her daughter's fur. "There you go. Now you're presentable."

Hollystar watched the exchange between the family with speculative eyes. What was wrong with that kit? She forced the thought down as she leapt to the ground in front of the little kits. "From this moment on, until he as earned his warrior name, this kit will be known as Bumblepaw." She looked up at the faces watching her expectantly. She looked at each face then found the one she knew was right. "Brightheart, you are overdo for your first apprentice. You will be mentor to Bumblepaw."

Brightheart's single eyes was shining as she bounded up to touch noses with her new apprentice, and lead him away.

Hollystar turned back to face Briarkit-- the little dark brown she-cat's amber eyes were shining. "From this moment on, until she has earned her warrior name, this kit will be known as Briarpaw. Birchfall." She looked up at the tabby tom sitting outside the nursery. "You are a brave young warrior. You will be mentor to Briarpaw."

With a nervous glance inside the nursery, Birchfall came padding up to the little she-cat and touched noses with her. His eyes were gleaming with pride as he led her away to the back of the crowd of cats.

Blossomkit sat alone in the center now, her blue eyes uncertain and her little chest fluttering with panic. Hollystar bent her head to look her in the eyes and blink comfortingly, but the little kit wouldn't make eye contact. "Are you alright, Blossomkit?" she mewed softly. "Don't you want to be an apprentice?"

Blossomkit looked at her for the first time. "Yes," she whispered in a tiny voice. "I really do. Honest!" she insisted.

"Okay, then. From this moment on, until she has earned her warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Blossompaw." Hollystar looked up at the Clan, all anxiously awaiting who would be her mentor.

Looking down at Blossompaw, she felt a sad pang. _I could be her mentor, _she mused. _But I don't think I'm ready for that. _Blossompaw would be a difficult case, with her unwillingness to play with her littermates or speak to any other cat beside her family.

A cat coughed. "Don't you think you should have thought about this before you called us all here?" It was Mousefur, and the dusky she-cat was standing shakily on her paws. "Firestar _always _planned his apprentices out before he called the Clan for a meeting."

To her dismay, some of the other cats were nodding. She heard Berrynose whisper, "That's what he did for my ceremony," to Honeyfern.

"Well, these kits need to be apprentices," Hollystar protested feebly.

"Just hurry up and pick a cat, Hollystar," Lionblaze grumbled from his position near Cinderheart. "You're wasting everyone's time."

Resentment flooded Hollystar's belly, and she glared back at him with narrowed eyes. She knew who she would give this difficult kit to now-- no doubt in her mind. "Lionblaze, since you want this ceremony over with, _you _will be Blossompaw's mentor. You're patient and brave-- a perfect mentor for this young cat."

Lionblaze looked astonished, a pleased look spreading across his face. Hollystar was caught off-guard by his sudden happiness: she had meant for his mentorship to be a punishment--a hard task-- not a gift. But Lionblaze padded forward and touched his nose to his new apprentice's with pride, and whispered, "You're doing a great job," to the frightened little she-cat. "Only a few more moments."

Blossompaw nodded, looking more at ease with Lionblaze there. She let out a short, raspy purr.

Hollystar blinked in surprise at the exchange. The Clan cheered on the new apprentices: "Bumblepaw! Briarpaw! Blossompaw!" The Clan moved to swarm around the newly-named kits, purring in happiness and congratulating them. Bumblepaw and Briarpaw soaked up the attention, but Blossompaw shrank back and pressed herself against Lionblaze's legs.

Hollystar started to pad away from the crowd when she heard a low chuckle. She whirled around.

No one was there.

Confused, she saw that she was in unfamiliar forest. _What just happened? _she wailed internally. _How am I not in the clearing? _

"I brought you here." Yellowfang stretched her legs as she stood and padded over to Hollystar. "Nice to see you're already appointing apprentices and mentors-- doing real leader things."

Hollystar bent her head in respect to the ancient cat. "It is nice to see you, Yellowfang," she mewed respectfully.

Yellowfang made no motion to show she had heard. She leaned forward, so close that Hollystar would smell her rank breath. "Have you thought about our warning?" she whispered, her orange, unblinking eyes fixed on Hollystar's face.

At once, Hollystar knew what she was talking about. "The crouching enemy that will block out the stars," she murmured.

Yellowfang nodded, sitting back on her haunches. "Well?" she prompted.

"I haven't, actually," Hollystar admitted. "I've been a little busy." She flicked her tail behind her to motion to the Clan, then realizing that she wasn't in the camp.

Yellowfang did not look pleased. "You need to think of your Clan, Hollystar. Not just the fact that you went from a -leaf to a -star." She smirked, pleased with her own statement. "StarClan don't give prophecies lightly." She lifted her head. "So here's another one for you to worry about." She paused.

Hollystar waited, confused. "What is it?"

Yellowfang closed her eyes. "I thought you would never ask," she muttered. Then she reopened her orange gaze and fixed it on Hollystar. "There is a traitor in you Clan."

Hollystar gasped.

"And it's not you," Yellowfang murmured. She looked down at her own extended claws. "I, too, have killed." Her claws tightened in the soft grass. "But for other reasons." She looked back up at her. "The traitor won't know that it's them until the moment the betrayal is done."

"Why are you telling me this?" Hollystar whispered.

Yellowfang tossed her head scornfully. "Why do you think, mousebrain?" she hissed. "You're the leader!" She narrowed her eyes. "And while you're at it, there are a few young cats in the Clan that will cause you much sorrow and rage."

"Who?" Hollystar flickered through her thoughts and immediately thought of Millie's kits. "What will they do?"

Yellowfang leaned in again, her eyes soft and pitying. "You will see in time, young one. Now," She fixed her eyes on something behind Hollystar's shoulder. "You need to see to you Clan."

Hollystar flipped her head over her shoulder to see what the old she-cat was looking at, and realized she was back in camp. She twisted back to look where Yellowfang had been sitting and saw nothing.

* * *

**Woot! Mysterious StarClan visit! Now, I'm off to eat some fruit and play Banjo-Kazooie. **

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	7. Chapter 5

****

Update time! Woot! This chapter is filler, I must say, although there is a little nugget of foreshadowing in it. ^^ Look closely: it's not what you think it is.

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Lionblaze couldn't believe it when Hollystar said he'd be the mentor of Blossompaw. A warm gush of happiness flooded through him from nose to tail tip as he padded forward and touched his nose to her small pink one.

"Are we going to go train now?" she whispered.

He shook his head, leading her past Hollystar, who was standing in place with a speculative look on her face. "We'll start first thing tomorrow," he answered her, not able to keep the pride out of his voice. "We'll go all over the whole territory, so make sure you get a good sleep tonight." When the apprentice didn't look happy, he asked, "Is there something wrong, Blossompaw?"

She looked stricken. "N-nothing, Lionblaze," she mewed. "I'm just a little nervous," she admitted, her tail flicking behind her.

He purred. "You'll do fine. You're a smart cat; you'll be a great warrior."

Her blue eyes glowed and she dipped her head thankfully.

Lionblaze touched his tail tip to her shoulder. "Now why don't you go talk to Rosepaw and your littermates? Go get a nest set up in the apprentices' den."

"Yes, Lionblaze." She turned and hurried over to Briarpaw, who was already chattering away to Rosepaw, but Lionblaze could see that the dark cream she-cat was enjoying talking to a cat closer to her own age.

A cough startled him, and he whipped around to see Hollystar wheezing. He hurried over to her and pressed his shoulder against hers. "Are you alright?" he mewed worriedly.

Hollystar's eyes were glazed, and she choked again. "I hurt," she rasped. "My belly…my chest."

"Let's take you to Leafpool." He tried to drag her towards the den, but she dug in her claws.

"I won't go to see that piece of fox dung," she protested, her voice weak and failing.

"Yes you will," he insisted. "We'll talk to Jayfeather instead, alright?"

She dipped her head and came quietly, her fur bristling. Lionblaze could feel she was trembling as he pulled the bramble screen apart and lead her into the cool darkness of the herb-scented den.

"Hollystar!" Leafpool's voice was sharp with shock. "What happened?"

Hollystar ignored her and padded over to Jayfeather. Lionblaze saw a streak of pain cross Leafpool's face but he couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for her after all she had done.

"Jayfeather, Hollystar says her belly hurts. She's having a hard time breathing."

Leafpool came bustling over. "Hollystar, if you'd just let me--"

"Leave me alone!" Hollystar's reaction was so quick and vicious that even Lionblaze was shocked.

Leafpool dipped her head and silently took a step back.

Hollystar curled her lip and let out a hiss. "Don't come near me," she rasped. "You're nothing to me. Don't think for one heartbeat that you are."

Leafpool's eyes were filled with immeasurable sorrow. "You're still my daughter," she murmured. "And I will always love you and be proud of you."

"I don't need anything from you," Hollystar snarled. "All you are is a selfish, lying she-cat who betrayed her Clan and the warrior code to be with some fox dung WindClan cat."

Leafpool's pelt bristled with rage. "Don't speak to me like that," she spat. "Without my 'selfishness,' you and Jayfeather would never have been born. Would you rather have _that?_"

"Yes."

Lionblaze gasped. "W-what are you talking about, Hollystar?" he muttered to her under his breath.

She ignored him. "What am I? I'm not the true leader of ThunderClan because I'm not _fully _ThunderClan." She curled her lip. "I may as well join WindClan and be one of _their _warriors."

"Shut up, Hollystar," Jayfeather grumbled. "You're talking nonsense. You're obviously delirious." He took a step forward and sniffed at her old shoulder wound from her near-fall from the top of the hollow. "It's infected again," he announced. "The infection must have reached your lungs." He turned away and padded into the small herb storage at the back of the den, returning with a mouthful of flower petals. "Here," he mewed, dropping them at her paws. "Marigold. Eat all of this and I'll make a poultice for your shoulder."

Hollystar glared at him. "I am _not _delirious," she spat. "How can you let her touch you? I've seen you-- you let her groom you and brush your pelt. She's not our mother!" Hollystar's voice had reached a higher pitch than normal, and her eyes were wide and dilated.

Lionblaze looked into her green eyes and saw that she wasn't seeing anything. "Something is seriously wrong with her," he mewed, panicked. "Why are her eyes like that?"

A soft keen rose from Hollystar's throat as she stared into the distance.

Leafpool moved in front of her and nudged her with a forepaw. Hollystar didn't move, but her eyes wandered from side-to-side as if she was watching something. "I see," Leafpool whispered, sitting down on her haunches. "She's speaking with StarClan."

"What!?" Lionblaze's voice was incredulous. "She's _speaking _with them?" He had never thought that cats actually _talked _to their ancestors, even after he saw the spirits of Runningnose and Raggedstar appear in the clearing when he was helping Tigerpaw get rid of Sol.

"Yes." Leafpool settled down on her belly, her amber eyes fixed on her daughter. "I'm not sure how long she'll be, but it must be important if they called her now and not at night when they're--" Hollystar gasped and sat upright suddenly, her eyes wheeling all over the den.

"Three will come," she rasped. "Three will…come…" Her eyes closed and she half-fell onto her side, mewling softly like a sick kit.

Jayfeather padded over at once and settled beside her, closing his eyes as he pressed his pelt to hers.

"What are you doing?" Lionblaze demanded, but Jayfeather didn't listen. There was a frown on his gray face, and he pulled back looking displeased.

"She is _not _speaking to StarClan," he said harshly.

"Who is she speaking to then?" Leafpool asked, her eyes intense.

Jayfeather shook his head. "I can't tell," he muttered. "I'm blocked out."

"That makes no sense!" Lionblaze was surprised by Leafpool's passion. "Why wouldn't you be able to tell? You _always _can tell."

Jayfeather flattened his ears. "That's not true," he argued.

"Can we stay on task, please?" Lionblaze asked bluntly, looking pointedly at Hollystar on the ground; her mouth was moving as though she was speaking, but no sound passed her lips.

Leafpool gently pulled back Hollystar's eyelids, then pressed her ear against Hollystar's black chest. "She's hyperventilating," she announced.

"What does that mean?" Lionblaze asked, confused.

"She's breathing too fast," Leafpool explained. "Way too fast." She turned to Jayfeather. "Fetch me some thyme. Lionblaze." She turned back to him, determination in her eyes. "You go get some water. From the river, not from here."

"O-of course," he stuttered, and ran out of the den without another word. The clearing was almost empty-- no cat seemed to know that their leader had just collapsed.

"Lionblaze!" It was Thornclaw, rushing up from the fresh-kill pile.

_Well, maybe _some _cats know she's missing, _he thought sarcastically. "She's in the medicine den," he mewed as he passed, but to his surprise, Thornclaw ran with him out of camp and towards the stream.

"I'll come, too. Two mouths for herbs are better than one, right?" His attempt at humor was weak, and Lionblaze didn't laugh.

"Water, actually," he corrected.

They ran in silence for a heartbeat before Thornclaw mewed, "Is she…sick?"

"Leafpool doesn't know," Lionblaze admitted as he ripped off a chunk of moss. "She thinks Hollystar's talking to StarClan."

"StarClan!" Thornclaw repeated as he snagged a mouthful of moss himself. "So, it's not serious?"

"It is," Lionblaze mewed darkly. "She might lose a life." Lionblaze knew immediately saying it was a mistake at Thornclaw's next words.

"But she just got them!" His amber eyes were wide in panic. "We need to get back now." He immediately went from being a friend to being a senior warrior in a heartbeat. "Hurry and dunk that moss in the water, Lionblaze. Then we'll head back to camp." He dipped his moss in the water and flicked his tail for Lionblaze to do the same.

Lionblaze felt a spark of anger at his orders. _I'm not an apprentice anymore, Thornclaw! _he growled in his head. _Stop treating me like a kit! _But he soaked the moss and fell in line behind the golden-brown warrior dutifully, stifling his resentment.

* * *

"There you go, Hollystar," Leafpool murmured. She had shooed Thornclaw out of the den and tried to do the same with Lionblaze, but met with less success. "Open your mouth just a little more, dear one." Lionblaze felt a rush of rage at the medicine cat's usage of the affectionate term, but bit his tongue and said nothing.

Hollystar groaned and twisted her head. "The Clan," she whispered, still half-unconscious. "Shadowed water…dark trees…ashes and fire…"

Jayfeather's pelt was on end as Hollystar rambled, and Leafpool looked confused. "Did StarClan tell you about any of this?" she asked her apprentice.

Something flashed in Jayfeather's blind eyes, but he quickly hid it so well Lionblaze was unsure if he saw it in the first place. "No," he answered. "No cat from StarClan told me."

Leafpool sighed and pressed a soggy mass of herbs closer to Hollystar's mouth. Hollystar's jaws parted and she swallowed the herbs slowly, her throat convulsing.

Her eyes finally opened, but she looked exhausted. "Where…?" she asked.

"In the medicine den," Lionblaze answered. "You were talking in your sleep."

Hollystar looked confused. "Was I?" she murmured. She got to her paws shakily. "I need to go to my den," she mewed, already starting towards the entrance.

"Wait, Hollystar!" Leafpool cried. "You need to rest…" She trailed off as she saw that Hollystar wasn't listening. "Leader or not, she still needs to listen to her medicine cat," Leafpool growled.

Jayfeather shrugged and began to put away herbs. "She'll learn," he mewed loftily, his ears flicking.

Lionblaze fought back a humorless laugh. Excusing himself, he padded out of the den, all the while thinking how unwilling Hollystar would be to do anything that she didn't want to.

* * *

**So...this was a lame chapter. :D But like I said, there's some foreshadowing in there. It felt a little rushed, but I had to write an essay on Wuthering Heights halfway through, so my writing flow got interrupted. ^^**

**I'm off to play the freaking hardest game I've ever played in my life: Ecco the Dolphin for PS2. -shudders- If you guys want to play a hard, confusing game, I totally reccomend it. **

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	8. Chapter 6

**Gathering time! But you guys won't be visiting it, since you will be reading something more awesome than a cat arguement. This is where the MAJOR foreshadowing starts.**

**I've had a few reviews saying that you guys are wondering what I mean sometimes in this fic. Am I being too ambiguous with my writing? Because, honestly, when I reread what I've written, I can't tell if I'm being infuriatingly vague in some places, since I already know how this fic is going to turn out. I can be more outright with things if you guys want me to, but I really love foreshadowing and in-text clues, so I include a lot of them in my writing. Any comments?**

* * *

Jayfeather heard the rustling of pelts and felt small vibrations through the ground of the camp as cats prepared to head out to the Gathering. The air was warmer than usual, and he could detect the faint scent of green-leaf on its way.

"I hope you don't mind staying behind," Leafpool mewed _again _for hopefully the last time. "Mousefur's fever isn't down yet and I'm afraid she'll catch greencough if she's stressed."

And _again _he answered, "It's not a problem, Leafpool. I'm fine." He stifled the urge to roll his eyes and sigh irritably. "Just go to the Gathering already," he mumbled under his breath as he flipped through the herbs at his paws, inhaling the scent of each one to make sure they hadn't spoiled.

"Why don't you go get some more catmint?" she asked him as she groomed her pelt. "With this nice weather, maybe some of it has grown back."

Jayfeather thought back to the greencough incident last leaf-bare. The Clan had nearly been wiped out from a lack of herbs. "I'll go get some then."

"Take a cat with you," she mewed. "I'm afraid of what might happen to a cat left by himself on our territory-- especially with WindClan getting onto our land so easily every time."

"Maybe we should patrol over there," Jayfeather said slowly, ears pricked forward for Leafpool's response.

He was disappointed when she responded, "You know Hollystar won't do that. She made a promise to Firestar not to attack them." She paused as she groomed for a heartbeat. "StarClan will take care of everything."

Jayfeather felt a sear of anger burn his pelt. "StarClan can't do everything," he growled. "Who cares what Firestar said? Hollystar's the leader now and _she _makes the decisions. For all we know, Firestar could have been delirious in his last moments."

Silence followed his words, but Jayfeather could detect Leafpool's anger mingled with sadness and he knew that he had spoken unfairly. But that didn't mean he would apologize.

Finally she stood, her paws scraping the dusty ground. "I better go get ready to see Hollystar," she mewed stiffly.

"See you later," Jayfeather responded just as frostily.

As she left the den, Jayfeather felt a prickle of guilt trail down his spine. _I shouldn't have said that about Firestar, _he said internally. _He just never wanted to fight. He never thought violence was the answer. _Shaking his pelt, Jayfeather crouched in the den as the sounds of cats in the clearing grew louder.

"ThunderClan will let no cat know that we have been weakened," Hollystar was announcing. "Especially not to WindClan. I will speak to Onestar, but there will be no fights." She paused, and Jayfeather could picture her staring down the Clan. "Okay?"

A chorus of mews rose up, and Hollystar spoke again: "Graystripe, Squirrelflight, Brightheart, Cloudtail, Thornclaw, Sandstorm, Dustpelt, Honeyfern, Lionblaze, and Rosepaw, you will come to the Gathering. Ferncloud, you'll be senior warrior here, so guard the camp well. You, too, Sorreltail." A thud alerted Jayfeather to the fact his sister must have leapt down from the Highledge. "Let's go! If we hurry, we can make it there and speak to Leopardstar before Onestar gets to her first."

Jayfeather turned back to his work, resentment flooding his belly as he thought of the Gathering. _You told Leafpool you didn't care, _he reminded himself with a sigh.

"Jayfeather!" Lionblaze burst into the den, scattering leaves everywhere.

Jayfeather hissed in annoyance. "Look what you did! I just organized--"

"Listen, Jayfeather," Lionblaze cut him off. "I've got a bad feeling that Onestar's going to try to attack me."

A blank surprise filled his mind. "Why would he?" Jayfeather asked, confused.

Embarrassment and guilt washed over Lionblaze. "I kind of…scratched him."

"Scratched him?" Jayfeather echoed. "So what? You scratch cats all the time in battle. That's what you _do _in a fight."

"This was different. I think I clawed his eye and throat. In fact, I know I did," he clarified. "He's going to be scarred for life."

"Well," Jayfeather mewed, reaching out with his paws to find the missing herbs, "there's really nothing you can do about that. Just don't provoke him."

Lionblaze scraped the leaves together into a dust-filled pile and shoved them towards Jayfeather as Dustpelt called, "Come on, you lazy lump, Lionblaze!"

"Here. Sorry," he mewed hastily as he hurried to follow after the senior warrior out of the den and towards the Gathering place.

Jayfeather heard him go and stifled another sigh. "Why am I blind?!" he snarled to himself as he began to brush the dirt off of the herbs. _What did I ever do? _he railed. _Is this a punishment from StarClan or something? Because I never-- _He stopped abruptly as he realized something.

"Leafpool," he whispered. "She's the reason." His thoughts winged back to when he had spoken to Cinderpelt's spirit after Cinderheart had lost her kits.

_Medicine cats are separated, not only by our bond with StarClan, but by more subtle laws; laws that _cannot _be broken without repercussions, _the gray medicine cat had whispered.

_I'm the one, _he realized. _I'm the one who's been punished. _He curled his lip in a silent snarl. _Leafpool and Crowfeather are the reason that I'm blind. Because of _their _mistake! _

"Jayfeather, we need your help."

Jayfeather started at the sudden voice. "Ferncloud?" he asked.

"Yes. This apprentice is asking for you."

"What apprentice?" Jayfeather asked, annoyed.

"Flamepaw."

Jayfeather gasped. "Flamepaw is here?" he asked shrilly. "Where is he?" Without waiting for an answer, he barged past her and into the clearing, his nose lifted to catch the scent of ShadowClan.

"Jayfeather!" a voice wailed, and Jayfeather turned towards it. _He's in the old apprentices' den, _he realized. _A little cave. _

"Flamepaw. What are you doing here?" Jayfeather snapped.

The little apprentice's paws made soft thumps on the ground as he dodged edgily past the guard, Berrynose.

"Hey!" Berrynose snarled. "You know you're supposed to stay in this cave." Jayfeather felt Berrynose's pelt brush against his as he took a threatening step towards Flamepaw. The apprentice let out a squeak of fear and pressed himself into Jayfeather's legs.

"Cut it out, mousebrain," Jayfeather snapped to Berrynose. "He's just an apprentice, not an enemy warrior."

"He's ShadowClan," Berrynose retorted. "That makes him just as bad as an enemy warrior."

Jayfeather curled his lip at Berrynose then roughly nudged Flamepaw. "Let's go. I'll take you home."

"I don't think so, Jayfeather." Berrynose's claws scraped against the ground as he unsheathed his claws. "I'm under strict orders from Hollystar to keep this apprentice as a prisoner."

"Tell Hollystar to go chase her own tail," Jayfeather hissed, but backed up. "Flamepaw can come to my den and make himself useful sorting herbs."

Berrynose hesitated. "Make sure he doesn't leave camp," he said finally.

"Sure. Come on." Jayfeather turned and padded away, leaving Flamepaw to scurry behind him.

"Thanks a lot, Jayfeather," he mewed. "I thought that big cream cat was going to scratch me. He has pretty big claws, and he's a lot bigger than me. He's bigger than you, too, don't you think?" Flamepaw chattered all the way to the den, and Jayfeather had to bite his tongue from whacking the annoying cat across the ears. _No wonder your Clan hasn't come looking for you, _he thought grimly.

"Wow!" Flamepaw squeaked. "What a nice den! Littlecloud and I have a smaller den but it's deeper than this one. Along the walls we have these nice little niches that we put the herbs in to keep them nice and dry. On the other side, we have--"

"StarClan!" Jayfeather snarled. "Shut up! It's enough to drive a deaf rabbit mad!" He stuck his head out of the bramble screen and scented, his ears pricked for any noise. Berrynose seemed to have drifted out the camp to hunt, and Ferncloud and Sorreltail were playing with Millie's kits as they bounded around the clearing. "We're leaving."

"I thought we were going to sort herbs," Flamepaw said, surprised.

"Of course not," he snapped. "That was only to get Berrynose off my tail. Now we can go out of the camp; no cat will challenge the medicine cat but Berrynose." He stepped out into the clearing confidently. "Don't look suspicious," he told Flamepaw. "No cat will ask."

Flamepaw mewed in agreement and padded alongside Jayfeather. They nearly had reached the camp exit before Spiderleg noticed them walking by.

"Where are you going with that apprentice?" he asked abruptly. "He's a prisoner."

"I need him to help me identify herbs," Jayfeather lied quickly. "I can't exactly see them myself." He blinked pointedly.

Embarrassment surged from the warrior's pelt. "Right," he mewed hastily. "Well, come back soon."

"You bet." Jayfeather side-stepped him and padded deeper into the forest, the night air cool on his thick pelt. The sun must have nearly set, he reckoned, as the air was evenly cool on the soft ground.

The silence didn't last long. "Are we going to ShadowClan now?" Flamepaw piped up. "Because our Clans will probably fight if you don't," he hinted softly.

_No they won't. _Jayfeather smirked. "I'm sure." He lifted his head and sniffed the air. "I need to go to a Twoleg nest first. You can go ahead back to your Clan."

Shock radiated from the apprentice. "I-I can't go back in the dark!"

"Then you'll have to help me carry these herbs back," Jayfeather said. "Then I'll take you to ShadowClan."

"You tricked me!" Flamepaw's voice sounded hurt.

"Yeah," Jayfeather admitted. "But I need you to help me spot some herbs."

They walked in silence for a few heartbeats before curiosity got the better of Flamepaw. "What kind of herbs?"

Jayfeather sighed. "Catmint."

"Oh! Good for greencough," Flamepaw recited. "Right?" Worry washed over his pelt. "Is your Clan sick? They didn't look sick…"

"They aren't," Jayfeather said quickly, worried that Flamepaw might report back to Blackstar. "This is just in case."

"Okay," the apprentice mewed happily. "I think we're here."

"We are." Jayfeather could smell the faint scent of Twolegs and herbs when he inhaled. "Let's go around back."

As Flamepaw hurried to obey, Jayfeather wondered if this was what it was like to have an apprentice all his own. _Well, don't worry about it, _he told himself. _Leafpool would have to die first. _At the thought of the medicine cat, a sick pit of anger burned in his stomach.

"Here's some! Just follow my voice!"

Jayfeather padded up to him and bent his head to nuzzle the soft stems. He stepped back, displeased. "This isn't old enough yet," he said unhappily. "If we take it now, it might not grow back."

"Oh." Flamepaw sounded just as dejected. He twisted his head to the side suddenly and gasped softly. "I think someone's coming," he whispered. He pushed Jayfeather out the side of the Twoleg den and into a thick clump of brambles.

"Watch it, Flamepaw!" Jayfeather hissed as a thorn pricked his nose, causing it to bleed. His eyes watered and he reached up to rub his sore nose, but Flamepaw stopped him.

"The cat's nearly here," he whispered.

"What's it look like?" Jayfeather whispered back. He reached out with his thoughts and felt only panic. "I don't think he's going to attack."

"It's Kestrelflight!" Flamepaw announced. Stepping out of the cover, he called, "Kestrelflight! We're over here!"

"Thank StarClan I found you," the WindClan medicine cat wheezed, skipping a greeting. "I was hoping to run into Leafpool, but you're even better."

"Thanks," Jayfeather mewed dryly. "But can you get to the point?"

"Right, right. Let me…catch my…breath." Kestrelflight gasped for air, settling onto his haunches.

Flamepaw bounded away and came bouncing back with the scent of herbs clinging to his pelt. He dropped a bundle on the ground in front of Kestrelflight. "Here," he mewed. "Coltsfoot: good for shortness of breath," he announced proudly.

Kestrelflight let out a raspy purr. "Good job, Flamepaw," he mewed as he crunched up the leaves. "You're learning fast. But it makes me wonder why you're with Jayfeather and not with Littlecloud."

"Er…" Flamepaw trailed off.

"Littlecloud wanted Flamepaw to learn a few ThunderClan herbs in case of, er…emergency." Jayfeather's lie was terrible, but Kestrelflight seemed to believe him.

"Oh, alright," Kestrelflight mewed. "But I need to tell you something, Jayfeather. Onestar is _not _at the Gathering."

"Why?" Jayfeather demanded. "Is he sick?"

Kestrelflight hesitated, not wanting to give away Clan secrets. "He's…ill," he said finally. "But not physically. I think--" He stopped and took a deep breath. "I think his fever reached his brain."

"He's mad?" Flamepaw asked curiously.

Kestrelflight hesitated again. "He's friends with a rogue. The same one that came with ShadowClan that one time," he explained. "The longhaired tortoiseshell."

"Sol," Flamepaw spat with surprising venom. "He told us we couldn't be apprentices-- that all cats had to fend for themselves."

Kestrelflight sighed. "He's got a different strategy this time. He's playing off of Onestar's hatred for ThunderClan." He extended a forepaw and gently nudged Jayfeather. "He's plotting with Sol to kill your warriors."

Jayfeather's mind went blank with disbelief. "Why?" he rasped.

"Lionblaze mutilated his face," Kestrelflight explained. "He wants revenge." He shuddered. "It's truly awful. I couldn't do anything to help him either. He suffered," Kestrelflight mewed wretchedly. "He really did. This is all my fault. If only Barkface was here…"

"Why didn't you go speak with him at the Moonpool?" Jayfeather pressed.

"Sol won't let us," he responded. "He says that StarClan have no real power and tonight he's leading Onestar and me to a more powerful ancestors."

"Why aren't you with him?" Flamepaw asked.

"I came to warn you. Mothwing doesn't strike me as one who would particularly care, for some reason."

_I know the reason, _Jayfeather thought darkly. "Well, when are you supposed to go?"

"Moonhigh."

Flamepaw gasped. "B-but that's right about now!" he mewed in astonishment.

"I know," Kestrelflight mewed miserably. "That's why I want you to follow us and watch. I don't know where we're going, but it's deep behind your territory."

"I don't know," Jayfeather said slowly. "Sol and Onestar may want to kill us, and I don't want to put Flamepaw in danger." He turned to look where he assumed the apprentice was. "Go back to your Clan," he told him.

Defiance burned from his little body. "No," Flamepaw argued. "I can help you. I can _see." _

"Watch what you say," Jayfeather growled, but he realized that Flamepaw had a point. What if he lost Kestrelflight's scent? Then what? "Fine," Jayfeather said finally. "Flamepaw and I will follow you to this place."

Kestrelflight purred. "Thanks, Jayfeather. I'll owe you." He stood up and started towards his territory. "Flamepaw, make sure you keep an eye on us. I'll try to brush up against whatever I can to leave a strong scent trail."

"We'll see what this is all about soon," Jayfeather grumbled. "Then we'll find out why Onestar would want to follow that crowfood-eating rogue."

"Yeah!" Flamepaw cheered. "This is going to be _awesome!_"

* * *

**Aw, Flamepaw. He's so eager and awesome. I've already got his warrior name picked out, as well as Rainkit and Oakkit, although they aren't really important right now. But later... -evil laugh-**

**Shadow**


	9. Chapter 7

**I'm sorry if this chapter sucks. I've got really bad flu, and it's currently 4:20 in the morning here, so I think I did alright for this chapter. Maybe. T-T**

* * *

"Just wait behind this bramble," Kestrelflight whispered to Jayfeather and Flamepaw. "We'll be by shortly." His voice faded a little, and Jayfeather knew he had turned around to look for his leader and Sol. "Here they come," he squeaked. "I've got to go."

"We'll tail you," Jayfeather promised. "We won't let anything happen."

A spark of uneasiness came from the WindClan medicine cat. "I pray to StarClan that your words are true, Jayfeather." His pawsteps faded into the distance as he ran to catch up with Onestar.

Jayfeather turned to Flamepaw. "Can you see them?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," the ShadowClan medicine cat apprentice mewed. "They're just outside your territory." There was a pause as Flamepaw scented the air. "That's Sol, alright." He let out a low growl. "I'd recognize his scent anywhere."

Jayfeather strained his ears to listen to the conversation but he only picked up every other word or so.

"Kestrelflight," Onestar mewed in surprise. "What…ThunderClan…hurry…Gathering."

Kestrelflight mewed something unintelligible, and the voices faded.

"Where did they go?" Jayfeather hissed, more to himself than to Flamepaw.

"I can still see them. They've just started to head into the woods. Let's go!" He gave Jayfeather a rough nudge, but Jayfeather shook him off angrily.

"I know where I'm going," he spat.

Surprise and fear fluttered from the apprentice's pelt. "S-sorry," he mewed hastily. "But we're going to lose them if we don't hurry."

"Fine," Jayfeather relented, knowing that Flamepaw spoke the truth. "Lead the way then." He placed his tail across the apprentice's shoulders and Flamepaw took off.

They ran softly, placing their paws down gently on the soft grass so that Sol and the WindClan cats wouldn't hear them. _Where could they be going? _Jayfeather wondered. _They aren't going the right way for the Moonpool-- what other ancestors are there? _

"Stop," Flamepaw hissed suddenly. "They're standing still now. I can't tell what they're doing."

"Move closer," Jayfeather meowed, his voice barely a whisper.

"O-okay," Flamepaw stuttered. He grabbed Jayfeather's scruff and hauled him closer, the voices becoming clearer. Brambles tugged at Jayfeather's pelt, and he knew they were well hidden. "I can't see them well from here," Flamepaw whispered.

"That's okay," Jayfeather whispered back. "We can hear them." He raised his tail for silence and the two medicine cats leaned forward to listen.

Sol was speaking, and Jayfeather fought down a bitter hiss. The loner had promised to help him and his littermates but never followed though. "All you must do is take a single sip, Onestar," he said, anticipation in his voice.

"This water is stagnant," Onestar growled. Jayfeather was surprised by his voice: a deep, rough rasp of a noise. "I'll get sick."

"No, no!" Sol insisted. "This will cleanse you. These ancestors are _much _more powerful than StarClan. They will give you the strength and power to do anything you want."

"Is it a pool?" Jayfeather hissed to Flamepaw, and he could feel the apprentice nod.

"It's dark, though. I can't see the bottom. It's smaller than the Moonpool-- this one's a little bigger than a puddle." He let out a sound of disgust. "It smells foul."

Jayfeather could smell it, too. The scent was not unlike the smell of rotten leaves and crowfood. "They're going to drink it?" he questioned.

"Maybe. It looks that way."

"I can't drink that!" Kestrelflight yowled. "Look at it! A kit could tell that water is bad."

"Do you want to be strong?" Onestar rasped to his medicine cat. "Barkface never gave me and trouble. Maybe you're not cut out to be a medicine cat."

Jayfeather could feel a pang of guilt and anger flood from the WindClan medicine cat. "You can't be serious, Onestar."

"I am." There was a pause-- the only sound was the splashing of water and Jayfeather knew Onestar had drank the water. The WindClan leader cried out in pain and fear as the water slid into his belly, and a loud thump told Jayfeather he had collapsed and was seizing on the bare ground.

"Drink it, Kestrelflight," Sol mewed, a hint of a snarl in his voice.

There was a second sound of moving water, and Kestrelflight's voice joined his leader's.

"Sol's drinking now," Flamepaw murmured. "Onestar's just now fallen still. Kestrelflight is thrashing on the ground." Surprise colored his tone as he went on to add, "Sol isn't affected by it! He just fell asleep."

Despite Flamepaw's words, Jayfeather could feel the pain that was happening in Sol, but also felt the loner's rapturous fascination with the dark water. _What in StarClan's name is going on here? _Jayfeather wailed internally. He settled onto the ground and tucked his paws beneath his chest.

"What are you doing?" Flamepaw demanded, fear radiating from his pelt.

"I'm going to see if I can join Kestrelflight's dreams," he answered. "Now stay quiet." Jayfeather closed his eyes and rested his chin on the ground.

Immediately, Jayfeather opened his eyes to see the burning gaze of the cat who had been stalking him in his sleep. "Jaykit," the cat said mockingly. "If you want to join his dream you must pay the toll."

Jayfeather jerked awake, opening his eyes to the darkness and feeling Flamepaw's panic echo his own. He knew _exactly _what the dark cat had meant, and what it required him to do. He started to pad towards the water.

"What are you doing?" Flamepaw hissed.

"I'm going to taste the water," Jayfeather answered, not stopping. "I…I need to know something." He flipped his head around to where he assumed Flamepaw was. "Stay up there and keep watch," he ordered.

Flamepaw's breath came in a startled gasp, but he settled back down, crushing several small dead bramble shoots.

Jayfeather opened his mouth and tasted the air, instantly letting out a soft noise of disgust at the scent of the water. It was repelling, especially at this closeness, but he padded forward until his paws came to cold, slimy ground, and he knew he was at the pool's edge. He bent his head and sniffed at the soil: it seemed to be covered with slick moss that gave off an unusual odor-- not revolting like the water, but not quite pleasant.

"Jayfeather," Flamepaw called softly. "Don't do this!"

"I have to," Jayfeather whispered, more to himself than to the apprentice. "I _must _know." He dipped his head and stuck out his tongue to lap up a single tongueful of water, and cried out in shock.

The water felt like he had just licked fire and the feeling didn't go away. Jayfeather fell on the ground as his head swam, his legs curled up underneath him in agony as the fire blazed through his body. His vision turned red with the strength of his pain. He vaguely heard Flamepaw call his name, but sighed and let himself fall into darkness.

Jayfeather hit the ground with a thud that drove the breath from his body. He wheezed on the ground, his eyes adjusting to the dim light of the environment around him. With dread, he realized he was in Tigerstar's dark forest, and the light was given off by a repellant yellow fungus. Jayfeather curled his lip to drive the scent from his nostrils, standing up and shaking his pelt free of clinging dead leaves.

_What am I doing here? Why would any cat want to come here? _The fire smoldered in his veins here, but he felt an odd sense of power-- untouchable but barely there. He heard voices from deeper within the forest, and he began to pad stealthily towards them, watching shadows dance across his paws. _Where's the moon? _he wailed, looking all around him. The sky was made of the same swirling shadows from his nightmares. _Am I meant to be here?_

"We are here, brother." Sol's words surprised Jayfeather, and he crept over a fallen log to peer into a small clearing. Jutting from the ground at an odd angle was a massive rock, and the WindClan cats and Sol stood beneath it.

"Who are these ancestors?" Onestar rasped, and Jayfeather could see the damage Lionblaze had afflicted upon him. Four lines of bright red infected scars ran down from the top of his head, across one ear, through one of his eyes, then under his chin and across his throat. His amber eyes burned with a heat as palpable as a forest fire.

"They are strong," Sol reassured the leader. "They will lead you Clan to greatness! Not like those so-called warriors of StarClan." At his words, the clearing began to darken-- even the light from the fungus faded to a dim glow. Jayfeather felt the ground rumble beneath his paws, and quickly backed up as shadow cats poured into the clearing.

_Oh, StarClan! These are the cats that were rejected from StarClan! These are the murders and code-breakers! _Jayfeather pressed himself into the ground, his mouth open in a silent wail.

He picked out Tigerstar and Hawkfrost, padding side-by-side; the effect of the two of them, so shockingly alike, was terrifying. Only their eyes burned different colors. Tigerstar did not lead the way, strangely. A huge, long-haired dark tabby did, his amber eyes scorching. Jayfeather noticed that the cat's tail was bent in half like a broken branch.

"Welcome, Onestar," the cat mewed, his voice calm and deadly. "Why have you intruded upon our solitude? The cats of the dark forest have never gathered like this in all the seasons I've been here."

Onestar's eyes were wide in panic. "Brokentail!" he whispered in hate and anger.

The tom's eyes gleamed in rage. "It's Broken_star,_" he corrected. "That pitiful ThunderClan thought they could change me." His mouth opened in a horrible bark of laughter. "They thought they could strip away from me what always had been _mine._"

Kestrelflight was eyeing a black-and-white she-cat with with a smooth, unscarred pelt nervously. At his glance, she leapt forward with an explosive hiss and raked her claws at him. The medicine cat leapt backwards, his ears flattened and his eyes wide.

Brokenstar watched with amused eyes. "Now, now," he snarled mockingly. "Let's behave, eh, Blackflower?"

The she-cat, Blackflower, looked over at him in disgust. "I told you," she spat. "I'm no longer Blackflower. It's Raven."

"You were in my Clan when you received that name," Brokenstar hissed. "You will wear it in _my _territory!"

"This isn't your territory!" she yowled. "It's unnatural for us to gather like this. If it wasn't for Tigerstar, no cat would know how to do this anyway."

"Be silent, Blackflower," another cat beside her mewed, her voice low and dangerous. "We are here for a reason."

"Yes," Sol whispered, his eyes wide and excited. "Brokenstar, when you came to me in a dream, I--"

"You may go, loner." Brokenstar's voice was blunt. "Your usefulness is over."

"W-what?" Sol stuttered. "But, I thought you'd give me power as well!"

Cold laughter filled the air-- the sound made Jayfeather's fur stand on end.

"Don't be stupid, loner," a silver tabby mewed. "Why would we give our power to _you? _You don't belong to the Clans."

Brokenstar wheeled on the tabby, faster than Jayfeather could blink. "Silence, Darkstripe!" he hissed furiously. "Who gave you permission to speak?"

"Now, now," Tigerstar spoke for the first time. "Brokenstar, let him go."

Brokenstar's amber eyes were incredulous. "Are you really the one to give orders to me?" he snarled softly. "You're lucky I let you walk here with me. You're not even pure ShadowClan, yet you wear the name -star like you were raised by a ShadowClan queen!" He released his hold on Darkstripe and sat down, his ragged pelt looking strangely familiar to Jayfeather.

"It doesn't matter," Tigerstar mewed smoothly. "Let's get to why we're here." He turned and looked into the forest as if he could see Jayfeather crouched there. _Oh, StarClan! Let him look away! _Tigerstar's head snapped towards Onestar on the ground. _Thank you, _Jayfeather whispered in his mind.

"Leader of WindClan," Brokenstar started. "You have come to us with your medicine cat to accept the help of the dark forest, have you not?"

Even though Kestrelflight started and began to stand, Onestar laid his tail on the younger cat's shoulders. "We have," he growled.

Brokenstar dipped his head. "Very well," he said, "but you must run the trial." He flicked his broken tail and the shadow cats parted like a wave, their pelts glowing with a dark light and their eyes were red.

"The trial?" Onestar echoed, his pelt bristling.

"The Trial of Claws," the shadow cats intoned. "You must run the Trial of Claws." Their voices were soft and chanting, but their eyes burned with otherworldly light.

"I will do anything to make sure my Clan survives and prospers." Onestar's voice was strong despite the fact his fur was on edge.

"Onestar, please," Kestrelflight begged. "Please don't do this."

Onestar rounded on him, his single eye gleaming in horrible rage. "Come on now, Kestrelflight," he hissed softly.

Kestrelflight's pelt bristled, but he followed his leader through the pathway of cats. As they passed, the cats of the dark forest struck out with their claws, ripping pawfuls of fur from the WindClan cats' pelts. Onestar cried out in agony as a small black tom with piercing blue eyes caught the fur along his belly.

"Squirm!" the black cat cried in a voice like ice.

Jayfeather could only watch in horror as the WindClan cats were maimed by the claws of long-dead cats. He hurriedly snuck down behind the line of cats to look at the clearing where Onestar and Kestrelflight had just emerged. Onestar's face matched the rest of his pelt now, Jayfeather thought darkly. Kestrelflight's green eyes were glimmering with pain, and he limped on one paw.

Brokenstar awaited them at the end of the line. "Congratulations," he growled. "You've made it to the end."

Onestar's breath came in sharp pants. "My wounds," he whispered.

"They will heal. Your lives will not."

Jayfeather's breath caught in his chest. _What can he possibly mean? _

"My…my lives?" Onestar rasped. "My lives are…gone?"

"Yes."

Onestar stood up, rage flooding through him and touching Jayfeather's own fear. "You tricked me!" he accused.

Brokenstar's eyes gleamed with terrible humor. "I did nothing of the sort. Your _StarClan _lives are gone," he announced. "And now we will give you new ones."

Jayfeather could only watch in terror. _No, no, no!_ he wailed. _This is wrong! This is wrong! _

"I will give you the first," Brokenstar hissed. He padded forward to press his nose against Onestar's forehead. "With this life I give you power," he snarled. "Use to it gain what you want."

Jayfeather could tell Onestar was in agony. The WindClan leader's legs buckled underneath him and he fell to the ground wailing. Brokenstar watched him with cold eyes, then turned away and padded back to the lines, allowing room for Tigerstar to approach.

"You," Onestar hissed.

Tigerstar's eyes gleamed as he touched his nose to Onestar. "With this life I give you ambition. Use it constantly to claim what is yours."

Onestar didn't yowl this time, but he closed his eyes and let out a low hiss as Tigerstar's life flooded through him. He opened hate-filled eyes to glare at Tigerstar, but the next cat was already padding up.

"Hawkfrost!" Onestar spat.

The huge tabby dipped his head. "With this life I give you confidence. Never let any cat tell you what to do."

Onestar's teeth ground on each other, and Jayfeather watched him sink his claws into the bare ground.

The tiny black cat padded up to the WindClan leader next. His claws glittered unnaturally in the dim light and Jayfeather felt a thrill of horror course through him at the realization. _Dog teeth! His claws are reinforced with dog teeth! _

"With this life I give you the power to undermine enemies." The cat's voice was filled with cynicism. "Use it to cut the legs out from underneath them."

"Scourge," Onestar rasped, as the pain overtook him. "You…nearly killed me."

"Well, let's call it even now," Scourge said scornfully as he stepped back for an enormous black-and-white tom to come forward. "My deputy," Scourge greeted him. "Take it away, Bone."

"With this life I give you strength," Bone hissed, his green eyes furious. "Use it better than I did."

_What can that mean? _Jayfeather questioned, but the next cat was already padding up.

Darkstripe's pale eyes glittered as he stepped forward. "With this life I give you your own mind. Never let any cat question you."

Darkstripe glared upwards as Onestar writhed on the ground. _He must be cursing StarClan! _Jayfeather thought.

Darkstripe walked away to sit next to Tigerstar as a mottled tabby padded forward. "Well, isn't this a strange coincidence!" he mewed. "Who would have thought that I'd be the one to give you a life."

"Mudclaw!" Onestar growled. He began to rise, but Mudclaw pushed him back down and pressed his nose to Onestar's forehead.

"With this life I give you the power to fight. Use against all who challenge you." Mudclaw watched with glittering eyes as Onestar yowled in pain on the ground, letting out a purr.

_He really must hate him, _Jayfeather pondered, his claws flexing in and out as he watched the dark ceremony.

The black-and-white she cat, Blackflower, padded up next. "With this life I give you the power to stand out. Don't let any cat hold you back." She shot a hate-filled glance towards Brokenstar, then pressed her nose to Onestar's forehead. "One left," she murmured as she stepped away, kindness almost touching her voice.

Silence fell upon the clearing then, and Jayfeather looked around for the next cat to pad up.

No cat came.

"Where is our last warrior?" Hawkfrost called, his pale eyes annoyed. "Come out now."

_Where is it? _Jayfeather questioned. _Where is the last--_

"Hello, Jaykit."

Jayfeather whirled around to peer into the darkness at the cat who had haunted his dreams for moons now. "No," he whispered through unmoving lips. "Oh no."

"Oh _yes, _Jayfeather." The cat stepped into the light and Jayfeather fought down the urge to screech aloud with fear. "Did you think you could get rid of me that easily?" He walked past Jayfeather and pressed his nose to Onestar. "With this life I give you determination." The cat's eyes looked up and smoldered as he met Jayfeather's gaze. "Use it to finish off what you started." His eyes mocked Jayfeather as Onestar received the life.

Jayfeather turned and ran into the depths of the forest, not caring if the shadow cats saw him. _How can he be here? _Jayfeather wanted to wail. _He's going to kill us! Ashfur is going to kill us!_

* * *

**I wanted this to be more dramatic, but it kinda failed. Sorry. I'm going back to sleep now, so R&R!**

**A very sick and sleepy ****Shadow**


	10. Chapter 8

**Uhh, this chapter's glitching pretty bad as I'm trying to load it, so I'm sorry in advance! Updated allegiances and a Hollystar chapter! Point out the mistakes, guys! **

* * *

**Allegiances**

**Leader:**

Hollystar - black she-cat with green eyes

**Deputy:**

Graystripe - long-haired gray tom

**Medicine Cat:**

Leafpool - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

_Apprentice, Jayfeather_

**Warriors:**

Dustpelt - dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat

Thornclaw - golden brown tabby tom

_Apprentice, Rosepaw_

Brightheart - white she-cat with ginger splashes

_Apprentice, Bumblepaw_

Ferncloud - pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat with green eyes

Cloudtail - long-haired white tom

Sorreltail - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Squirrelflight - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Spiderleg - long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall - light brown tabby tom

_Apprentice, Briarpaw_

Berrynose - cream-colored tom

Hazeltail - small gray-and-white she-cat

Mousewhisker - gray-and-white tom

Cinderheart - gray tabby she-cat

Honeyfern - light brown tabby she-cat

Poppyfrost - tortoiseshell she-cat

Lionblaze - golden tabby tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice, Blossompaw_

Foxclaw - reddish tabby tom

Icepelt - white she-cat

Millie - striped gray tabby she-cat

**Apprentices:**

Jayfeather - gray tabby tom

Rosepaw - dark cream she-cat

Briarpaw - dark brown she-cat

Bumblepaw - very pale gray tom with black stripes

Blossompaw - white she-cat with tortoiseshell patches

**Queens:**

Daisy - cream long-furred she-cat from the horseplace

Whitewing - white she-cat with green eyes, mother of Birchfall's kits: Oakkit (ginger dappled tabby she-cat with white paws), and Rainkit (long-haired gray tom with darker flecks)

**Elders:**

Mousefur - small dusky brown she-cat, oldest cat in ThunderClan

Longtail - pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight

Brambleclaw - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes, severely broken foreleg

* * *

Hollystar stood bristling in the middle of the Gathering as the other Clans filed out of the clearing and over the fallen log. She couldn't believe what had just happened. _Where is Onestar? _she wanted to screech. _Something's wrong--fsomething's very, very wrong. _

Graystripe padded up to her from the deputies' positions. "We're going to have some trouble with ShadowClan," he murmured to her. "Blackstar made some pointed hints to Leopardstar as well. She's not looking so well, is she?"

Hollystar barely heard her deputy's words. Her mind was fixed on the knowledge that both WindClan's leader _and _the medicine cat weren't in the clearing. "Yes," she agreed vaguely, then she blinked and focused on him. "What?"

Graystripe's tail twitched but he didn't say anything about his leader's lapse in attention. "Blackstar threatened us about Flamepaw," he reminded her. "He said we need to release him or face ShadowClan's claws, remember?" His yellow eyes searched her face.

Hollystar shook her head to clear it. "Of course, of course. I had nearly forgotten that we still had him as a prisoner. Firestar's the one that ordered it." Her mind clouded with sorrow, and she shook her head angrily again to shake the thoughts away. _Be strong, _she chastised herself.

"As soon as we get back, I think we should send him with a patrol to the border." Graystripe seemed very careful with his words--as if he was concentrating on not taking charge.

"That's a good idea," Hollystar agreed. "See to it, will you?"

Graystripe dipped his head, then turned and padded over to speak with Rosepaw. The broad-shouldered dark cream she-cat's amber eyes were still glowing with excitement from the Gathering.

_She's so happy to be here, _Hollystar thought. _So would Toadspring. _A sharp pang of despair clawed its way through her, leaving her gasping with the strength of it. _My fault, my fault. _She could feel herself spiraling but couldn't seem to stop. Her chest heaved with her infection and her shoulder felt like it was on fire.

"Hollystar!" Leafpool raced over to her. The medicine cat sniffed along her shoulder. "Oh, I wish Jayfeather was here," she whispered so softly that Hollystar didn't think she was supposed to hear it.

"I'm fine," she gasped. "I think it's just…it's just…" Her mind filled with the images of the lost ones--Brackenfur, Firestar, Toadspring. _All my fault! _she cried.

"StarClan help me," Leafpool murmured. She leaned down to Hollystar's ear and mewed softly, "Hollystar, all the other Clans are gone. I'm going to have Mothwing in RiverClan come here. She will bring you some herbs." She lifted her head away from Hollystar and called, "Sandstorm!"

The pale ginger she-cat came racing over. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, shocked.

"She needs herbs immediately. Go fetch Mothwing in RiverClan, please. Ask her to bring some poppy seeds, marigold, and"--she paused and looked down at Hollystar speculatively--"thyme." She looked at Sandstorm pleadingly. "Hurry!"

Sandstorm took off, calling to Dustpelt, and the two warriors soon disappeared from view. Cloudtail took one look at the situation then turned and gathered the ThunderClan cats around, loudly announcing that it was the perfect time for a story. The cats padded up to him and sat down, looking rather confused.

Hollystar watched all this with a strange detachment. _Thyme? Thyme is for shock…I'm not in shock. _She pulled herself to her paws shakily.

Leafpool pressed her back down. "Please, Hollystar, lay back down. You're not…you're not well."

Hollystar glared up at her. "I'm fine," she insisted. "Let me up."

Leafpool's amber eyes hardened. "No, Hollystar. You need to listen to others. Being leader doesn't mean that you can't take help from others." Her eyes softened. "You can trust your Clan, Hollystar. We're all trustworthy."

Hollystar looked up at her in disgust. Making sure no other cats were around, she leaned forward and hissed, "Are _you _trustworthy, Leafpool? After what you did with that WindClan warrior? After lying to the Clan for seasons while Jayfeather and I grew up?" She watched the medicine cat coldly. "You can't possibly think that Jayfeather, Lionblaze, or I could trust you after what you did to us and to everyone else."

Leafpool's gaze was tortured. "Hollystar, please," she begged. "I loved Crowfeather dearly and still do. I'm proud of my kits and my Clan. The Clan doesn't need to know."

"Yes they do!" Hollystar mewed shrilly. "You're the medicine cat! You need to tell the Clan the truth and earn their trust back!"

"What they don't know can't hurt them." Leafpool looked up and let out a sharp sigh of relief. "Mothwing," she greeted to a cat over Hollystar's head. "I'm so glad you have come."

Hollystar twisted around to see the beautiful golden tabby she-cat come padding into the clearing, her mouth full of fragrant herbs. Setting them down, she mewed, "How could I not? You've helped me out in a tight spot more than once." She padded up to Hollystar and dipped her head politely.

Leafpool was already chewing up the marigold into a poultice. "ThunderClan is in your debt, Mothwing." She glanced at the RiverClan medicine cat with affection. "Anytime you need my services or my herbs, just send a cat and I will gladly give you some."

Mothwing shook her head, her amber eyes glinting. "ThunderClan doesn't owe us anything," she said softly. "This doesn't need to be told to Leopardstar." She fixed Hollystar in her gaze. "Okay?"

"Why doesn't Leopardstar need to know?" Hollystar demanded.

Mothwing hesitated, then glanced over to Leafpool. The ThunderClan medicine cat shook her head just slightly. Mothwing turned back and mewed, "Oh, no reason," in a falsely-cheery voice.

Rage flamed up in Hollystar's belly. She opened her mouth to order Leafpool to tell her the truth, but Leafpool shoved a mouthful of thyme into her gaping jaws. Coughing and spluttering, Hollystar choked down the leaves resentfully.

Leafpool laid the marigold on Hollystar's shoulder more gently. "Thank you, Mothwing," she mewed.

Mothwing flicked her golden tail down Leafpool's side. "It was nice to see my kin." She fixed amber eyes on Hollystar.

Hollystar gasped. "How are you my kin?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

Mothwing purred. "Your father is my half-brother," she told her. "We share the same father."

Fury burned through Hollystar's veins. She longed to tell the medicine cat the truth but Leafpool was looking stricken over Mothwing's shoulder. "How interesting," she mewed stiffly instead. A thought occurred to her, and she narrowed her eyes at Leafpool before locking them with Mothwing. "My brother is also your kin. There he is over there." She raised her voice. "Lionblaze!"

The golden tom lifted his head and padded over. Looking suspiciously at Mothwing, he mewed, "Are we going to leave soon? Brightheart and Cloudtail are telling us stories of the old forest, but I'm getting pretty bored." He let out a soft laugh.

Ignoring his comment, Hollystar mewed rashly, "Look, Lionblaze!" She flicked her tail at Mothwing. "She's our kin. Our father's half-sister." She watched his look of confusion and shock cross his face with a strange sense of satisfaction. She could see him silently mouth the words "Our father?" with a bewildered look on his face.

He dipped his head to Mothwing politely. "Greetings," he mewed awkwardly, shooting furtive glances at Hollystar the whole time. "We must be kin--we look so similar."

Mothwing looked from his golden tabby pelt to her own and mewed friendlily, "Oh, yes! You must have gotten your eyes from Brambleclaw."

"Tigerstar's eyes," Lionblaze pointed out, his pelt bristling.

"I suppose." Mothwing's eyes shifted to Leafpool. "I must return to my Clan," she told her.

Leafpool padded forward to press her nose to the RiverClan cat's. "I will see you at the half moon."

Something flickered in her beautiful amber eyes, but she answered with "Of course." She picked up the herbs scraps and quickly padded over the log and out of view.

Hollystar faced Leafpool with grim triumph.

Leafpool looked back with sad eyes. "That was a low blow, Hollystar," she said, barely audible.

"You deserved it," Hollystar hissed as she stood and stretched her shoulder, wincing when sharp pain lanced through her. "Come on!" she called to the Clan. "We're leaving now!"

The Clan hurried over, still confused, and started over the log. As Cloudtail passed, Hollystar pressed her pelt to his white one and murmured, "Thank you."

Cloudtail dipped his head. "Are you better now?" he whispered.

Hollystar nodded. "My shoulder," she explained, flicking her tail to the wound.

"Ah." Cloudtail nodded to her then picked up speed to walk by his mate.

Hollystar watched him go, her shoulder burning. She turned around and spotted Thornclaw's very familiar golden brown pelt and dashed over to him, pressing her pelt against his.

He flicked his tail down her side. "That was a interesting Gathering, huh?" he mewed, affection in his soft voice.

Hollystar didn't answer, just buried her face in his warm fur and wished for the simpler days before she knew her true parentage.

* * *

Ferncloud trotted up to Hollystar as soon as she set paw in the camp. "Jayfeather and Flamepaw are gone," she said bluntly.

Hollystar gasped. "What?" she hissed. "How long have they been gone?"

"A while. I sent Sorreltail and Berrynose with patrols to go find them." Her dark green eyes were serious. "They haven't returned yet."

Hollystar's mind whirled with exhaustion, pain, and worry. What in StarClan's name was Jayfeather thinking? "We need to return Flamepaw to ShadowClan," she sighed. "His Clan gave us a very serious threat."

Ferncloud nodded. "Do you want me to take another patrol out?" she asked.

"Yes. You, Poppyfrost, and Birchfall can go towards the ShadowClan border. Be prepared for a fight." Hollystar turned to face the Gathering patrol. "Dustpelt, you take two more cats and patrol the WindClan border." She narrowed her eyes. "We need to find him."

The patrols took off and Hollystar twisted her head up to look at the glowing stars. _StarClan help me! _

"Hollystar." It was Berrynose, flicking his stubby tail irritably. "I picked up WindClan scent in our territory." Briarpaw and Hazeltail stood just behind him. Briarpaw's amber eyes were wide and frightened.

"WindClan?" Hollystar echoed. She narrowed her eyes. "What would they be doing in our territory?"

"What if they took Jayfeather and Flamepaw?" Briarpaw wailed. "They must have!"

"We don't need to go making accusations," Hazeltail mewed softly. "We have no evidence that they did anything."

"But aren't they the ones that killed Ashfur?" Just Berrynose's casual mention of the crowfood-eating traitor made Hollystar's claws sink into the ground.

"No," she hissed. "We don't know that." She straightened up. "Take me to the scent," she ordered. "Lionblaze, you come, too."

The golden tom rushed over, his eyes excited at the prospect of battle. "I hope Jayfeather's alright," he mewed worriedly.

"Me, too." Hollystar flicked his ear with her tail. Looking down at Briarpaw, she mewed, "You stay here."

Briarpaw looked up at her with pleading eyes. "I want to make sure that Flamepaw is okay." She blinked, then added hastily, "And Jayfeather, too."

Hollystar narrowed her eyes at her words. _They are enemies, _she whispered to herself, but something in Briarpaw's eyes told her otherwise. "You will stay here," she repeated, her voice not as gentle this time. "Lionblaze, go fetch your apprentice."

"Okay," he growled, and took off towards the apprentices' den, coming back shortly with a very tired-looking Blossompaw.

She shook out her dappled pelt and mewed, "What's going on?" in a sleepy voice.

"Patrol," Lionblaze told her shortly.

Hollystar nodded then turned to Berrynose. "Lead the way."

The cream tom nodded, his amber eyes serious, and raced out of the camp with Hazeltail hard on his paws. Hollystar followed them out with the rest of the patrol, racing hard through the midnight forest. The Twoleg den came into view, mysteriously silhouetted by the misty fog.

Berrynose stopped suddenly at a clump of brambles. "Here." He flicked his tail at the bush. "WindClan scent, as well as Jayfeather's and Flamepaw's." He stepped back as Hollystar pressed forward and sniffed at the sharp stems. Jayfeather's scent was clear.

"Hollystar, look!" Blossompaw murmured, pointing with her tail to a clump of ginger fur. "That's Flamepaw's!"

Hollystar padded over and tugged the scrap of fur. She spat it out on the cold ground and stepped back. "We should have had Cloudtail come with us," she growled. "He's better at tracking."

"I could try, Hollystar," Hazeltail mewed timidly. "Dustpelt taught me some tracking."

Hollystar quickly agreed and stepped back, allowing the gray-and-white she-cat to sniff delicately at the clump of fur. "Okay," she mewed as she stepped back. She lifted her nose in the air, closing her eyes to concentrate. She turned towards the WindClan border and sniffed along the ground. "I think they went this way," she said.

"Wait! Look!" Lionblaze gripped a bramble stem in his teeth and tugged it loose. "Look at it," he growled through clenched teeth.

Blossompaw peered closely at it. "Blood!" she gasped.

"It's Jayfeather's," Berrynose snarled. "WindClan must have hurt him!"

"Here's WindClan scent!" Hazeltail mewed shrilly. "And some fur here on the side!" She came back with a few hairs and set them on the ground.

"Gray," Hollystar meowed speculatively. "Who's a gray WindClan cat?"

"Emberfoot," Lionblaze answered immediately.

"And Ashfoot," Berrynose pointed out. "She might have come back and captured them."

"But why would they be out here?" Hazeltail pondered.

"They were looking for herbs, they told me." Berrynose poked his muzzle back into the brambles and came out with a small leaf.

Hollystar leaned in and scented it. "Catmint." She lifted her head to gaze into the Twoleg yard. "This is where they collect it."

"WindClan must have caught them here when they were getting herbs," Lionblaze reasoned. "Either Ashfoot or Emberfoot were here and attacked them." He nodded towards the bramble.

"There was only a little blood," Hollystar pointed out. "Jayfeather might have just cut himself on the thorns."

"But he might have gotten it from WindClan claws," Hazeltail countered. "Look at the ground, Hollystar. Cats were running here recently."

Hollystar looked at all the evidence--the fur, the scent, WindClan tracks--fit all pointed directly towards a WindClan attack. She narrowed her eyes. "Then it's obvious what we must do," she hissed softly. "WindClan cannot take our medicine cat without repercussions." She looked each cat in the eye. Berrynose and Lionblaze looked determined, Hazeltail was swishing her tail from side-to-side with a hard look in her blue eyes, and Blossompaw was looking extremely nervous. "We will return to camp now and collect a battle patrol." She turned and faced the cold stars. "We attack at dawn!"

* * *

**Whew. This chapter surprisingly took me a long time to write. Although, that may be because my brother challenged me to a Pokemon showdown right in the middle of it. ^^ I won. No one can beat me! Muahahahahaha!! **

**I wonder if you guys read my ANs. I have a lot of fun writing them . XD**

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	11. Chapter 9

**Sorry this is such a short chapter. I couldn't think of anything else to write. I'm kinda upset right now. T-T**

* * *

Lionblaze's heart pounded as he raced with Hollystar and the patrol back to the camp. Berrynose and Hazeltail ran on one side of him while Hollystar took the lead. Lionblaze could tell from her flattened ears and flicking tail that she was furious about this latest incident.

Blossompaw panted as she tried to keep pace with the older cats. She held the scraps of fur from the WindClan cat in her mouth. She looked up when she saw him looking and tilted her head to the side. Lionblaze just shook his head and picked up speed to run beside Hollystar.

"The Clan will be furious," he rasped.

"As they should be," she hissed in return. "Firestar was wrong when he told me not to attack them." Her eyes were cold.

Lionblaze looked at her hard face in alarm. "Are we really launching an attack?"

Hollystar looked at him incredulously. "They have our brother!"

Lionblaze bit back the impulse to retort, "You mean _your _brother." He could see that Hollystar was just as upset and angry as he was. _She's stressing over this, too. _"We'll get him back," he reassured her.

She closed her eyes and said nothing.

They were silent until they reached the camp again. The Clan was already gathered in the clearing, every pelt bristling. All eyes turned to the patrol as soon as they heard pawsteps.

"Well?" Squirrelflight demanded as Lionblaze padded in behind Hollystar. The leader had spared only a small nod to the she-cat she had believed was her mother. "Did you find him?" Agony was raw in her eyes.

A touch of pity flooded through Lionblaze. "Not yet," he mewed softly. "We won't stop until he is found." He looked into her panicked green eyes. "I promise, Squirrelflight."

She nodded jerkily, not meeting his gaze completely. "Be careful," she whispered. "I can't lose you." She pressed her muzzle into his shoulder fur briefly, then padded away quickly.

Lionblaze watched his mother go, then turned to see Leafpool's light pelt flickering in the gloom of the shadowed night. "Where is he?" she was whispering to herself.

"Leafpool." The medicine cat barely looked up as she twisted her head all around the clearing. "Leafpool," he repeated, "would Crowfeather have taken him? The fur we found was gray, after all."

Leafpool's response was immediate. "No," she mewed bluntly. "And Crowfeather's pelt is a darker gray than those hairs." She nodded towards Blossompaw, who was following after Hollystar with worry glimmering in her eyes. As he watched, Briarpaw ran up and spoke in hushed tones to her.

Tearing his eyes away, he opened his mouth to ask Leafpool another question, but she had bustled away to speak with Berrynose.

Feeling a spark of annoyance, he padded closer to Hollystar, who was speaking. "We have evidence that WindClan have taken Jayfeather and Flamepaw," she announced, her eyes still glinting hard. "We have found their scent on our territory as well as tracks and Jayfeather's blood by the Twoleg den." She closed her eyes as the yowls of shock and outrage filled the air.

"How can they think they could do that?" Spiderleg hissed, his tail lashing.

"WindClan have gone too far." Cloudtail bared his teeth in a snarl. "I'll lead a battle patrol over there this heartbeat if you'd like, Hollystar."

Spiderleg and Dustpelt looked eager to join in with Cloudtail, but Sandstorm stepped in front of them. "Let's think this through clearly," she mewed softly, her eyes serious. "We needn't be rushing into battle unnecessarily." She looked up to Hollystar. "What other evidence did you find?"

Berrynose stepped forward, his amber eyes narrowed. "We found scent, blood, and fur. What more evidence do you need?" Yowls of agreement rose after his words.

Sandstorm didn't back down. Her claws sank into the soft sand as she growled, "I have been in more battles than you, kit. I think I know better than you." She looked back at Hollystar with blazing eyes. "What do you say?" she demanded.

Berrynose looked affronted at the she-cat's harsh words. Birchfall padded up to stand beside him and glare at Sandstorm.

"We are going to attack," Hollystar snarled. "They have Jayfeather and that ShadowClan apprentice."

"Flamepaw." Briarpaw immediately looked embarrassed as the gazes of the Clan turned on her. "His…his name is Flamepaw."

Hollystar looked at her speculatively, then slowly dipped her head. "Jayfeather and Flamepaw," she corrected herself. She faced the Clan. "The sun is just starting to rise," she proclaimed. "We will attack while they sleep!" Her glittering eyes flickered to face Cloudtail. "You will lead one patrol," she told him. "Take four cats and wait for me by the tunnel." She focused on Spiderleg. "Same for you. The rest of you, hold back. WindClan may come here to attack. Sandstorm, since you don't agree, you can be in charge here."

Sandstorm's eyes narrowed, but she dipped her head. "Of course, Hollystar, but I wonder…" She lifted her head. "Are you sure you're making the right decision?"

Lionblaze gasped. Was Sandstorm going to outright question her leader?

Hollystar didn't even blink. "Prepare the patrols, please," she mewed without looking away from Sandstorm's face. "Now." She turned away without another word and settled by the thorn tunnel.

Cloudtail immediately called for Graystripe, Sorreltail, Thornclaw, and Honeyfern. The patrol gathered eagerly, each cat's pelt bristling with excitement. Spiderleg padded up close behind with Birchfall, Poppyfrost, Mousewhisker, and Thornclaw.

Lionblaze padded up to Hollystar, but she quickly turned her head away. "Stay here," she ordered. "I want you to keep an eye on Sandstorm." Her lip curled.

Bitter resentment coated Lionblaze's tongue at her words. "Why should I have to stay here?" he challenged.

Hollystar flicked him with her tail. "There are enough warriors on this patrol," she explained. "I need you here to protect the Clan." She looked deeply into his face. "Don't you want to protect Cinderheart, too?" She tilted her head to where the gray she-cat sat by the Highledge.

She had a point, but he didn't have to like it. "If you need more help--"

"Then I'll send for you," she finished for him. She turned away and padded up to the two patrols. Glancing around, she spotted Rosepaw with her claws unsheathed. "Are you up for a battle?" Hollystar asked her.

The dark cream she-cat's amber eyes blazed. "I'm more than ready to rip a little WindClan fur," she snarled.

Hollystar look at her approvingly. "Good. You come, too. Let's move quickly while the sun is in our favor!"

The patrols let out battle cries and followed the black she-cat out of the thorn tunnel and into the darkness of the forest.

An eerie quiet fell upon the cats left behind in the clearing. Ferncloud and Millie turned to the remaining apprentices and began to shush them for talking so loudly. "You'll wake up Whitewing's kits," the silver she-cat scolded.

"Sorry, Millie!" Bumblepaw squeaked.

"Are their eyes open yet?" Briarpaw asked curiously.

Ferncloud purred. "Any day now." She was obviously thrilled with her son's kits. "They're getting big and strong now."

"I bet I was a big kit, too," Bumblepaw boasted. "Bigger than Rainkit."

Millie aimed a sheathed forepaw at her son. "Hush now," she chastised half-heartedly. "There's a battle going on." She fixed Blossompaw with an intense stare. "Everyone will be fine," she reassured her. "Graystripe is a brave warrior. No scrawny WindClan cat can hurt him."

Blossompaw flicked her white ears. "I know."

Lionblaze padded away from the little family. _I could have had that, _he thought forlornly. _It could have been _my _kits praying for my safety in battle. _He glanced up to Cinderheart and saw that the she-cat's eyes were out of focus. "Hey," he greeted.

She barely glanced up. "Hey, Lionblaze." She sounded depressed.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, searching her face for an answer.

She lifted tortured blue eyes to his. "My whole family is out there," she said, barely keeping her voice below a wail. "What if they don't come back?"

Lionblaze didn't know what to say. He pressed his golden pelt closer to hers and let her lean against him. "Sorreltail knows what she's doing," he started, "and your sisters have had battle training. All will go as planned." An idea occurred to him. "Why don't we go visit Brambleclaw? We can ask his advice."

Cinderheart nodded her head jerkily, then stood up and dutifully followed him to the elders' den. Pushing aside the thin branches of the den, Lionblaze trotted up to his father, who was napping lightly next to Squirrelflight. The dark ginger she-cat was smoothing the former deputy's fur with long, smooth strokes of her tongue.

"Hello, Brambleclaw," he greeted with a polite dip of his head. "Squirrelflight," he added, nodding stiffly.

Brambleclaw looked thrilled to see him. "Lionblaze!" he mewed happily. "And Cinderheart!" His face darkened. "Has anyone seen Jayfeather yet?"

Lionblaze felt the familiar pang of sadness as he looked at Brambleclaw's ruined leg. The wound had healed now, but thick, jagged scars traced wide stripes through his tabby markings. "No one's seen him," he answered. "Hollystar thinks that WindClan took him."

"And what do you think?" Brambleclaw pressed.

Lionblaze hesitated. "I'm not sure," he admitted finally. "There seems to be enough proof, but something seems wrong."

Cinderheart leaned in and added, "Scent _and _blood."

Brambleclaw frowned. "And Hollystar already left with the attack?"

Squirrelflight turned to him and mewed, "I already told you that, Brambleclaw." She reached out and stroked his fur with one paw. "She's going to go get him back."

Brambleclaw nodded stiffly. "I won't be able to relax until all of my kits are safe here."

Lionblaze glanced furtively at Squirrelflight's reaction. The she-cat's face was drawn and sad, but she hid it quickly. "They will be," she assured him. She looked up at Lionblaze, a plea in her green gaze. "Can you go see if the patrols returned, please?"

Lionblaze dipped his head. "Of course, Squirrelflight." He turned to Cinderheart. "Do you want to come, too, or wait here?"

"I think I'll go see Whitewing's kits," she responded, her blue eyes happy. "They're really cute."

_Our kits would have been more beautiful than theirs, _Lionblaze wanted to yowl, but dipped his head to her instead. He stepped back to allow her to walk out in front of him.

Squirrelflight purred once she was out of view and Brambleclaw murmured, "She's a good cat, Lionblaze. I'm glad she picked you."

Lionblaze's ears burned as he muttered, "We picked each other."

Brambleclaw laughed and extended his uninjured forepaw to playfully whap his son. "That's how it was with me and your mother." He glanced up at Squirrelflight with tender eyes. "I knew she was the one at first sight."

"Mousebrain," Squirrelflight spat teasingly. "We hated each other."

"Oh, right." Brambleclaw purred with happiness. "Well, by the end of the Great Journey, I knew you were the one for me."

"That's more like it," Squirrelflight retorted.

Lionblaze watched his parents bickering with an odd sense of happiness despite the serious events taking place. He murmured a farewell and stepped out of the den and into the camp.

Ferncloud, Millie, and the apprentices had vanished. Lionblaze assumed that they must be in the nursery admiring the kits. Berrynose, Foxclaw, and Icepelt sat in the center of the clearing. Icepelt seemed to be telling a story. "So I pounced on the mouse and--" She cut off abruptly as Lionblaze padded up. "Hi, Lionblaze!" she mewed happily, her blue eyes shining. "Did you see WindClan yet? Do you think they'll make it back here?"

"I hope they do," Berrynose grumbled. "I want to fight. I found the scent, after all, and I didn't even get picked for the patrol." He let out a derisive snort. "Hazeltail got to go, but not me."

Lionblaze stifled the urge to roll his eyes at the whiny tom. "No one's found him yet," he told Icepelt. "I was thinking about going into the forest to look for myself."

"I'll go!" Foxclaw immediately volunteered.

Lionblaze shook his head. "I'll just go by myself," he mewed quickly, already heading towards the tunnel. "I'll be really quick."

Berrynose opened his mouth to reply, but Lionblaze was already out of the clearing and in the forest. He pricked his ears for any sound of attacking WindClan cats, but could detect nothing. _Maybe they aren't there yet, _he thought.

Drawing in scent, he slowly began to move towards the old Twoleg den, hoping that he could catch a trespassing cat to fight. He grimly curled his claws into the soft grass underpaw.

A sudden movement made him whip his head around to the side. "Who's there?" he called, suddenly nervous at the prospect of a battle.

"Keep it down, mousebrain!" A cat muscled its way out of a tangle of bracken.

Lionblaze couldn't believe his eyes. "J-Jayfeather?" he stammered.

The medicine cat apprentice heaved himself out of the bush and made room for Flamepaw to exit. "Who'd you think it was?" he mewed grouchily. "ShadowClan?"

"Er…WindClan, actually." He peered closer at Jayfeather--no marks cut through his pelt and his fur wasn't torn. Only a crust of dried blood on his nose proved that he was even injured. "How did you escape?"

"Escape what?" Flamepaw asked. Lionblaze saw that the little tom's green eyes were wide and frightened.

"WindClan!" Lionblaze repeated.

Flamepaw gave Jayfeather a startled look. "H-how did you know about that?" he questioned. "Did you see it?"

"See what?" Lionblaze was getting confused now. "We saw the fur and the tracks by the Twoleg den! How did you two escape being captured by WindClan?"

Jayfeather let out a short laugh. "We weren't captured by them." He flicked his tail over Flamepaw's mouth and whispered something too faint for Lionblaze to make out in the apprentice's ear. Flamepaw nodded and mewed, "Sure, sure."

"What?" Lionblaze demanded.

Jayfeather shook his head. "Nothing," he mewed innocently.

"So let me get this straight," Lionblaze meowed, trying to get his thoughts in order. "You weren't captured by WindClan?"

"I think we've already established that," Jayfeather hinted. "Now if you don't mind, I need to get back to camp. Come on, Flamepaw." He began to pad away.

"Wait!" Lionblaze called. "Hollystar just sent a battle patrol to WindClan! She's going to attack them!"

Jayfeather froze with one paw in mid-air. Turning slowly, he repeated, "Hollystar is going to attack WindClan?" His sightless eyes were wide.

"Yes!" Lionblaze nearly yowled. "We need to stop her--fast! She's going to cause a war between our Clans!"

* * *

**So was it alright? Tell me what you guys think about the plot so far. **

**R&R**

**Shadow**


	12. Chapter 10

**Woot! I'm officially in summer vacation, so expect updates quicker!**

* * *

Hollystar stood on the edge of the WindClan camp, Cloudtail on one side and Thornclaw on the other. _This is for my brother, _she thought hatefully, staring down at the sleeping Clan. She leaned over to Cloudtail. "Go take a look. Don't let any cat hear you."

"Right away," he mewed gruffly, taking off silently.

Hollystar watched with narrowed eyes. Cloudtail's white pelt would keep him well hidden in the thick fog surrounding the camp. Within heartbeats, he wasn't even visible. _Go on, _she urged him mentally. _Hurry! _

"Hollystar, maybe we should go back." Rosepaw fidgeted just behind Thornclaw. "We don't know for sure that Onestar has Jayfeather."

Hollystar looked down at her—the apprentice's amber eyes were wide with worry. "We'll be fine," Hollystar answered her gently. "WindClan have him and we're going to get him back."

Rosepaw didn't look certain, but she dipped her head and stepped back all the same.

"Here he comes!" Spiderleg hissed softly.

Hollystar whipped around to see Cloudtail dashing up. His white pelt was soaked with dew and he was panting harshly. "Did they see you?" she asked immediately.

He shook his head, still breathless. "They're…all sleeping," he choked out. He sucked in a deep breath. "I saw Sunclaw on watch, but he looked like he was dozing off."

Hollystar purred. "Excellent. Any sign of Jayfeather?" She looked intensely into his dark blue eyes.

He shook his head again. "No, but there's something else," he started.

"We can worry about it later," Hollystar cut him off. "We need to attack while they aren't suspecting us."

"But—"

"Hollystar, look!" Poppyfrost gasped. "There's Onestar and Kestrelflight!"

Sure enough, the WindClan leader was cutting a path that lead directly towards them. "Get in that gorse bush!" she hissed. "Quickly!"

The patrol scrambled into the thorny bushes. Hollystar's pelt was quickly scratched from the curled branches and sharp thorns. Her eyes watered as a thorn pierced the tender skin of her nose.

"Oh, StarClan," Honeyfern whispered. "This is really scary."

"I know," Mousewhisker murmured. "What if they catch us?"

"Shut it, the both of you," Graystripe hissed. "Do you want to get captured?"

The two younger cats looked affronted, their indignation flooding through their fear. Mousewhisker opened his mouth to retort, but Hollystar cut him off with a low growl. He flattened his ears and pressed his belly to the ground.

Onestar and Kestrelflight padded slowly past, limping like they had thorns in their paws. "We're going to keep this quiet," the WindClan leader rasped. "No one in the Clan is going to know. Unless _he _tells them out of spite."

"Where is he?" Kestrelflight asked, his green eyes filled with pain.

Mystified, Hollystar leaned forward to try to see their expressions. _What are they talking about? _

Onestar shook his head. "I sent him back to camp before you woke up," he answered, swallowing painfully. "He led us there—he deserves a rest." He paused with one paw in the air. "Why didn't you wake when I did?"

Kestrelflight nudged him, trying uselessly to get him to move on. "There was nothing else," he mewed to his leader.

Onestar narrowed his single eye. "Tell me," he ordered.

"Let's go back to camp," Kestrelflight pleaded. "Please?"

Onestar glared at him for a moment longer, then dipped his head. "This topic isn't over," he warned.

Kestrelflight let out a weak laugh. "Of course, Onestar."

The two WindClan cats moved on, but Hollystar waited until they were long gone before signaling the patrol to come out. "It's a miracle that they didn't scent us," she sighed.

"They were covered in blood," Birchfall pointed out. "They probably couldn't even scent each other."

"Not to mention that they don't expect to see enemy warriors hiding in their territory," Spiderleg mewed grouchily. He shook his pelt free of the clinging dead stems. "Are we going to fight now or not? We need to get this attack started if we want the conditions on our side."

Hollystar felt a prickle of resentment as the older warrior tried to take charge. She resisted the urge to say, "_I'm_ leader and not _you_," and dipped her head peaceably. "Let's go."

The patrol ran like shadows down the edge of the ridge. Hollystar flicked her tail for them to split up as they reached the clearing, just as they had planned—half ran around the edge of the camp and the other, lead by her, ran straight through the camp entrance yowling fiercely.

The WindClan warriors were all sprawled across the clearing with no noticeable warriors' den. Hollystar noticed this with a vague portion of her mind before she sank her claws into the flank of an unsuspecting warrior. The cat yowled in panic, squalling, "Ambush! Ambush!" in a piercing voice.

At once, the WindClan cats sprang to their paws to fight their foes, but each movement was thick and sluggish. _Lack of sleep! _Hollystar noticed with glee. _This is perfect. _She leaned her head down to whisper, "Where is Jayfeather?" into the pinned warrior's ear.

She narrowed her eyes up at Hollystar. "We don't have your medicine cat," she spat furiously. "Get out of our camp!"

"Give me my brother!" Hollystar screeched, raking her claws down the side of the she-cat, making her white pelt red. The cat yowled in pain and struggled with renewed vigor, but Hollystar just tightened her grip and held on.

She glanced around the clearing as she tussled with the she-cat—Poppyfrost and Honeyfern were battling a gray-and-white she-cat with sharp blue eyes, while Birchfall raked his claws down Ashfoot's side. Graystripe and Sorreltail had Kestrelflight cornered, but the gray-brown medicine cat was backing away, his green eyes wide with fear.

"Don't hurt me," he whimpered. "Please don't hurt me."

"Stand and fight!" Sorreltail yowled, lashing her claws at him but not quite touching him. "Be a warrior, for StarClan's sake!"

"I'm not a warrior," he panted. "I don't fight." He shook his head and raised one front paw in a placating gesture.

Graystripe snarled in disgust. "Where is our medicine cat?" he demanded, taking a step closer. "Where are you keeping him?"

"J-Jayfeather?" Kestrelflight stammered.

Hollystar gave her opponent one last lash with her forepaws before racing over to Graystripe's side. She glared down at the medicine cat. "We saw you walking back with Onestar. Where were you going?"

Kestrelflight shook his head jerkily. "I can't say," he wailed. "I can't _ever _say!" He closed his eyes and went limp. At this close distance, Hollystar could see the claw marks that ran down his side, and one of his eyes was surrounded by a crust of dried blood.

"What—" A sudden weight knocked Hollystar clear off her paws. She reached out blindly to catch her claws in thin, WindClan fur. She raised incredulous eyes to lock gazes with Breezepelt.

"Get out of my camp!" he spat angrily. He settled all of his weight onto his front legs, shoving Hollystar's throat down and making it hard to breathe.

"What are you doing?" she croaked. "I thought we were friends." Her vision swam as her air was cut off.

Breezepelt stared down coldly at her. "We are _not _friends," he hissed in a low voice.

Hollystar gasped wildly as she remembered herself saying the same words so many moons ago by the WindClan border. "Breezepelt, _please_." She realized suddenly that he was her brother—just as much as Jayfeather.

"I have to protect my family," he growled. His amber eyes burned. "I have no choice."

"You do!" she insisted as her vision went dim. "You have all the choices you want." Her head whirled and she knew she was going to die. _At least I have eight more lives, _she thought distantly. Just as she prepared herself to meet StarClan, something changed.

Breezepelt removed his claws and stepped back.

Hollystar stared at him like an idiot. "Thank—"

"Shut up," he snapped. "Don't tell any cat about this." He turned without another word and tackled Birchfall, carrying the tabby off his paws.

Hollystar wrenched herself to her paws as the battle exploded around her. Onestar came flying out of his den, his eye gleaming with rage. "What is happening here?" he yowled harshly. "To me, WindClan! Drive them out!" He lashed his claws at Cloudtail as he passed by, catching them in his long white fur.

Hollystar snarled. "Attack, ThunderClan! Go for the weaklings!" She whirled and sank her fangs into Emberfoot's shoulder, making the gray tom yowl in pain. She twisted her neck and sent the tom to his belly, raking her hind claws down his flank the whole time. She steadied his shoulders with her front paws.

"Get off, get off!" he screamed.

Hollystar couldn't reply—her mouth was full of WindClan blood, the taste bitter on her tongue.

Mousewhisker came charging over, his pelt torn and one ear dripping blood. "Hollystar, do you need help?"

Hollystar let out a muffled snarl and shook her head. She flicked her tail towards Emberfoot's face, and a look of realization passed over Mousewhisker's face.

"Oh…right." He straightened up. "Where is Jayfeather?" he asked in a strong voice.

"I don't know!" Emberfoot twisted violently but couldn't escape Hollystar's grip. "I don't know!"

"Tell us!" Mousewhisker unsheathed his claws and half-lifted a forepaw into the air. "Or else."

Hollystar looked into his blue eyes and saw the threat there. She sank her teeth deeper into Emberfoot's shoulder muscle, making the warrior yowl in agony.

"I don't know!" Emberfoot insisted, his voice clotted by pain. "Onestar and Kestrelflight weren't at the Gathering because they had to go somewhere!"

"Where did they go?"

"Behind your territory." Emberfoot's words were tumbling over each other in his mad rush to escape the pain. "He took Kestrelflight with him. When they returned, I scented ThunderClan and ShadowClan scent on Kestrelflight's pelt." His eyes gleamed with pain and confusion. "I thought they went to talk to Hollystar and Blackstar."

"For what?" Mousewhisker demanded.

Emberfoot fell silent.

Letting out a snarl, Mousewhisker leaned forward—so close that Emberfoot recoiled. "Why would Onestar want to speak with our Clan?"

Emberfoot hissed in his face. "I've said enough."

Hollystar released her hold on his pelt, and the warrior fled into the edge of the camp, wrestling his way through the thick gorse. Once his tail had disappeared though the gap in the wall, Hollystar heard an echoing wail and knew that her warriors on the outside had captured him. She looked over to Mousewhisker. "Good job."

Mousewhisker dipped his head. "I thought you might need a paw."

She flicked his flank with her tail and turned to face the leader's den. "Is he in there?"

"Yes. I saw him run back in there when he saw the battle." Mousewhisker narrowed his pale eyes. "There's another cat with him."

Hollystar bared her teeth. "Come on," she urged. "We can take them."

The gray-and-white warrior's gaze hardened and he followed his leader up to the washed-out stone leader's den.

Creeping inside the cold den, Hollystar growled low in her throat. "Come out, Onestar!" she called. "I need to get my medicine cat back." She leapt forward into the depths of the den, then stopped short at a sudden, unexpected voice.

"Hollyleaf! It's nice to see you again! I told you we'd be seeing each other."

"No," she whispered through unmoving lips. "No!"

"I'm afraid the answer," the cat hissed as he stepped into the dawn light, "is _yes!_"

It was Sol.

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**So was that an okay reveal? I myself thought it was pretty dramatic, but then again, I think I'm prejudiced towards myself. ^^**

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	13. Chapter 11

**I think I pretty much killed the pattern anyway, so here's another Hollystar chapter!**

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Hollystar stared at Sol with disbelief. Her mind went blank except for the picture of his long-haired tortoiseshell pelt, long-winding tail, and comforting amber eyes. "S-Sol?" she choked out.

"It is true." He stepped closer to her, so close she could smell his scent beneath the layer of WindClan stench. "Hello again, Hollyleaf."

Hollystar could only gape. She couldn't bring herself to be angry at him for deserting them, nor could she raise her claws against him. "Why…why are you in WindClan?"

"I am here because Onestar requested my assistance," he told her, flicking his tail towards the back of the den where Onestar glared.

"Don't tell them anything," Onestar spat. "Attack them!"

Sol, surprisingly, shook his head. "You are not my leader," he pointed out. "You can do nothing to me."

Onestar's eye burned with rage. "You promised you would help me," he rasped in an empty voice.

"That was before…the recent change in circumstances." Sol stepped back. "This battle is not mine; I will be leaving now."

Onestar snarled viciously. "You won't be going anywhere!" he cried. "Crowfeather, Owlwhisker! Now!"

At once, the two WindClan warriors stepped in front of the den, blocking the only way out. Mousewhisker pressed his pelt to Hollystar's for comfort, and she brushed her muzzle across his ears.

Crowfeather looked torn. He glanced from his daughter to his leader with pain-filled eyes. He locked his amber gaze with hers and Hollystar wanted to yowl, "Don't hurt me! Let us go!" but knew she could say nothing to him in the presence of all these WindClan cats. Owlwhisker was the opposite—his amber eyes were filled with excitement at the prospect of ripping ThunderClan fur.

Onestar looked eager. "Sol, if you stay with us, I won't have my warriors attack you. We need your help." He growled low in his throat. "You gave me your word."

Sol did not look at all frightened. "I will stay," he said, settling back down on his haunches. "Call your warriors off."

Onestar looked at him shrewdly but said nothing. "Owlwhisker, you may go. Crowfeather, you stay here. I need to ask you something."

Owlwhisker quickly turned and plunged back into the battle, letting out a fierce yowl. Crowfeather hesitated, then padded closer to his leader, carefully keeping his eyes from Hollystar.

"Yes, Onestar?" he asked quietly. "I should be in the battle defending my Clan."

Onestar smirked. "I have a question for you first." He looked at Mousewhisker and Sol. "Leave us!"

Mousewhisker bared his teeth. "You can't tell me what to do!" he spat. "You aren't my leader."

The WindClan leader growled softly. "If you like your pelt the way it is now, you will leave." He turned to Sol with anger gleaming in his eye. "As for you, my warriors will watch you."

Sol dipped his head. "I told you I wouldn't leave."

"You word means nothing, _brother,_" he spat.

Hollystar watched the exchange with wide eyes. _Why did he call Sol "brother?"_ she wondered. _What does he mean to say to Crowfeather and me?_ She felt a cold plunge of fear sweep through her belly at the thought of this crazy leader knowing her deepest secret.

Mousewhisker shot her a panicked look, and Hollystar shook her head the tiniest bit. _Go, _she told him with her eyes. _Just go on and leave. There's no use ripping two pelts now. _

Mousewhisker seemed to understand, but still looked reluctant to leave. She gave him a fierce nod, and he scurried out of the den.

Hollystar felt a sense of panic as she watched the tip of his white tail disappear from view. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to face Onestar. "You cannot keep me here," she mewed calmly. "Stand aside."

Onestar didn't seem to hear. He turned to Crowfeather with fury in his eye. "When you received your warrior name," he started, "you asked to be named after a cat that had died, a RiverClan rat."

"Feathertail was not a rat," Crowfeather hissed.

Ignoring this, Onestar went on: "Then, seasons ago, WindClan and my leadership were challenged by that traitor, Mudclaw." He paused, some memory making his legs quiver. "That night you saved the ThunderClan medicine cat, Leafpool."

_Oh StarClan! _Hollystar wailed internally. _He knows! He knows! _

Onestar bared his teeth. "After coming back to help with the badger attack, you swore off Leafpool and finally took a mate from your own Clan." He narrowed his eye at his warrior. "And now, again, you're having a relationship with a cat outside your Clan?"

Hollystar could only stare at the WindClan leader in shock. _He thinks…that Crowfeather and I are… _She barely stifled a laugh.

"It's not like that, Onestar," Crowfeather mewed quickly.

"I'm not blind, Crowfeather," Onestar hissed. "As much as you and the Clan think so. I saw the way you looked when I ordered you to attack her." He shifted his gaze back to Hollystar. "Can't you take a mate from your own Clan for _once?"_

"Hollystar is not my mate," Crowfeather said firmly.

"I don't see _her _denying it."

"I'm the ThunderClan leader," Hollystar hissed. "Following the warrior code is what I do. I wouldn't take a mate outside my Clan!"

Onestar still looked speculative. He flicked his tail from side to side as he looked between Hollystar and his warrior.

"Onestar, I love Nightcloud." Despite his words, Hollystar could see the lack of feeling in Crowfeather's eyes when he spoke about the mother of his kit. "She is my only mate."

The WindClan leader bared his teeth. "Then why did you not want to fight her?" he pressed.

Crowfeather's jaws gaped. "Well, er…" He paused, then his eyes brightened. "She's the daughter of Squirrelflight," he mewed quickly. "Her and I got to be fast friends on the Great Journey." He looked down at Hollystar. "I see a lot of her in Hollystar."

His leader looked slightly disappointed. "Is that all?" he asked confusedly. "I mean, all you are is protective of her daughter?"

"Yes," Crowfeather said firmly. "That's why I—"

Hollystar wasted no time. She slammed into Crowfeather's side and knocked him into Onestar, who let out an ear-piercing yowl of shock. She whirled and ran up and out of the cold, stone den and back into the battle. She let out a giddy laugh at her own trickery as she sank her teeth into Tornear's hind leg.

The tom let out a yowl of pain. "This battle is useless!" he spat. "Jayfeather is not here!"

"I don't believe you," she hissed, gripping a mouthful of his fur in her teeth.

The WindClan warrior bucked and twisted, raking his claws down her side and leaving a trail of scarlet in their place.

Hollystar went flying and landed in a crumpled heap, all the breath driven out of her body. She wheezed and retched on the ground, scrambling with her paws in the dust.

"Hollyleaf," a voice mewed from somewhere behind her.

"It's…Holly_star,_" she corrected in a rasp. She looked up with watering eyes to see the vague outline of a tortoiseshell cat. "Sol," she whispered.

"It is I," the loner said simply. He leaned closer and sniffed along the line of her flank. "Do you require assistance?"

"Where is my brother?" she demanded.

"Jayfeather?" he mewed. "He is not here. Safe and sound back at your camp."

"But…" Hollystar couldn't believe it. She had launched this battle on the sound proof that there had been a WindClan raid. "But…how?"

"True, Onestar, Kestrelflight, and I were out behind your territory last night," he began. "I scented him by the old Twoleg den and knew that he and a ginger apprentice had come to spy on our ritual."

"What is this ritual?" Hollystar asked as she pushed herself to her haunches.

Sol laughed lightly. "I couldn't possibly tell you," he mewed. "You have no need of it. Only those desperate for power would choose the way that Onestar did." He tilted his ears in the direction of the leader's den.

Hollystar nodded silently. "Do you plan on staying here?"

"For a while, yes," he answered, his jaws gaping in a yawn. "Although, I must tell you: I am very tired of rabbits."

Hollystar laughed with him for a heartbeat, and then grew still. "You knew about our prophecy and didn't tell us," she whispered.

Sol's amber gaze never clouded. "Yes, I did."

"Why didn't you tell us? You just left!" Hollystar dropped her gaze to her paws. "We needed your help. We _still _need your help."

"Help from a loner who is hated in all four Clans?" he asked lightly. "Help from me, who has done nothing to help any other cat or other creature of this forest?" He trained his golden gaze on her. "Why?"

Hollystar was silent for a moment. "You knew something before StarClan did," she began in a low whisper. "You knew about the moon covering the sun before it happened, and you knew about Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and me." She looked up at him. "How did you know?"

Sol purred. "You wish for me to teach you how to better use the powers of the stars?"

Hollystar gazed back at him fervently. "Yes," she breathed. "I do."

Sol got to his paws and pressed his nose to her lowered forehead. "Then I will teach you, Hollystar. After the night of the next Gathering, meet me on your border with WindClan by the stream. We will begin our sessions then."

Hollystar closed her eyes as he pulled back, and when she opened them he was gone, not even his scent lingering in the air. _I want to be strong, _she reasoned with herself. _I want the Clan to be strong. This is the only way. _Hating herself for it, she raised her voice and yowled, "ThunderClan! Retreat!"

Her warriors looked up with astonished gazes, but nonetheless padded up to her, their pelts bleeding. Honeyfern's ear was torn to ribbons and Spiderleg was walking with one paw off the ground, but everyone else seemed fine.

"Back to camp," Hollystar ordered. "Jayfeather is not here." She locked gazes with Cloudtail. "Lead the way."

He dipped his head, then turned and raced out of the clearing, the patrol streaming out behind him.

Hollystar looked back into the WindClan camp at the torn and battered Clan. "Take this as a warning!" she growled to them. "ThunderClan is _not _to be trifled with." She turned to leave, padded a few steps, and then hid in the walls of the camp. _Maybe Onestar will reveal some information, _she told herself.

She saw Heathertail poke her head out of the nursery."Is it safe to come out now?" she asked worriedly. "Are they gone?"

"It's safe," Breezepelt answered her, bounding over to her side. "How is Splashkit?"

"She's fine." Heathertail stepped back and allowed a tiny tabby kit to clamber out of the nursery. Hollystar was close enough to see that the kit had eyes the exact same shade of hazy blue as her mother.

"Are the bad cats gone?" Splashkit asked her father.

Breezepelt leaned down and nuzzled her. "They are, little one. ThunderClan won't be bothering us again."

Splashkit shook out her light tabby pelt. "Good!" she mewed happily. "I bet you fought really, really well, Father!"

Breezepelt winced as she bundled into him. He flicked his tail down her back and mewed, "I fought for _you, _Splashkit." He pressed his nose to hers. "For you and your mother."

A lump rose to Hollystar's throat, and she turned her face away from the WindClan camp. _What if I had fought him and taken him away from his kit? _she asked herself. _What if Ashfur had had kits? I would have taken those kits' father away from them forever. _She sighed minutely and cast off her thoughts, focusing back on Onestar, who had just padded out of his den.

He glanced around at his Clan. "Kestrelflight," he called. "Come and see to the wounded."

Kestrelflight didn't come.

Onestar frowned, the expressions looking terrifying on his already scarred face. "Kestrelflight!" he yowled.

The camp entrance shifted, and the speckled medicine cat came limping through. "Yes, Onestar?" he whispered. "Here I am."

Onestar padded up to him. "Why were you in there?" He flicked his tail towards the gap in the gorse. "Why weren't you fighting? I know Barkface taught you the basics."

Kestrelflight dropped his gaze to his paws. "I'm sorry, Onestar," was all he said.

"You will start taking battle lessons with the apprentices," the leader ordered. He glanced quickly around the clearing. "Antpelt can mentor you."

A ginger tom quickly padded up to Onestar and dipped his head. "It would be an honor to aid a medicine cat," he mewed humbly.

Onestar snorted. "Just make sure he can use his claws," he snapped. Turning to face the Clan, he mewed, "You all did a great job defending the queens. Heathertail, Whitetail, and their litters are all safe. Everyone get a good day's rest, and we'll begin camp clean-up at sunrise tomorrow."

The Clan breathed out a sigh of relief and settled down wherever they were. The WindClan cats licked their wounds and chatted softly to each other, but too soft for Hollystar to hear. Once she was certain that Onestar said all he had to say, she turned silently and raced up the hill.

Padding quickly, she saw with some surprise that the patrol had stopped just shy of the border. "What's going on?" she demanded. "We're still in enemy territory."

Hazeltail, who was at the back of the patrol, whirled around and mewed, "It's Jayfeather and Flamepaw!"

Hollystar gasped and began to push her way through the throng of cats. As she reached the front, she ran full into Lionblaze.

"Hey, Hollystar!" He waved his tail happily. "They were on our territory the whole time! Isn't that weird?"

She just gave him a withering glance and looked beyond his shoulder to where Jayfeather was loitering.

"Where. Have. You. Been?" She made each word separate and distinct.

"Looking for herbs," he answered, his blue eyes innocent.

She didn't trust him a bit. "I launched an attack on WindClan to rescue you and him,"—she gave Flamepaw a passing glance—"and you tell me that you've been on ThunderClan soil for the _whole time?"_ Her voice quickly rose to a screech.

Jayfeather glared at her. "I'm sorry," he began rashly. "Next time, I'll tell you when I go to collect herbs."

"Is the battle over now?" Lionblaze cut in, sounding disappointed.

Hollystar ignored him. "You can't just take a prisoner out to collect herbs with you," she spat.

"He's a medicine cat," he retorted just as fiercely. "And if you haven't noticed, I'm _blind! _I can't see the colors of the herbs!"

"You know their scents." Hollystar was furious and ashamed of herself. She had taken action too quickly. _Why didn't I send out search patrols first? _She snarled. All she knew to be angry at was Jayfeather. "It shouldn't have been an issue for you."

Graystripe quickly stepped between them. "We need to get back to camp," he hinted to Hollystar.

"Right." She glared at her brother. "We'll settle this later."

Jayfeather flattened his ears but said nothing.

The trip back home was agonizingly slow. With Thornclaw padding comfortingly at her side, Hollystar sighed and wished that she could pour out all her secrets to the strong warrior. _You can't ever do that, _she argued with herself. _You'll never be able to tell any cat the truth. Ever. _

**Yaaaay for quick updates! This one was kinda boring, I suppose, but there are some foreshadowing nuggets--not as well hidden as my other ones, I'm sad to say. T-T**

**Haha! R&R!**

**Shadow**

* * *


	14. Chapter 12

**Two updates in one day? _What?_ **

**I'm so good to you guys. ^^**

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Jayfeather curled up in his nest and suppressed a snarl of resentment. He had only just settled in his nest after his sister had thoroughly reamed him out.

_"You endangered the Clan with your mousebrained adventure!" she had spat. "Why didn't you tell any cat where you were going?"_

_He had sighed. "I was collecting herbs," he had repeated. "Flamepaw came with me to help carry back some catmint."_

_"That doesn't mean that you can just leave camp! Especially during an attack!" she had hissed angrily. "You aren't to leave camp without an escort now."_

_"What!?" Jayfeather couldn't believe her. "I'm not a kit," he had snarled. "I can leave when I want to."_

_"That's my order." She had stepped back and sat down. "Go to your den and think it over."_

Jayfeather let out a snort of anger and curled tighter in his nest. "Who is she to tell me what I do?" he whispered to himself. "Why does she think she can boss me around? We're siblings for StarClan's sake!"

Leafpool wasn't there, he was sure. She just left nowadays, never telling specifically where she was going or what she did while she was gone. She returned empty-pawed with no scent of herbs clinging to her pelt.

_Off to see Crowfeather, no doubt, _Jayfeather thought darkly. He stretched out and unsheathed his claws, raking the soft sand of the medicine den. He felt a strange stickiness in between his claws, and leaned down to sniff his paws curiously. A sharp scent burned his nostrils, and he drew back at the strange scent. Ever so slowly, he reached out with his tongue and touched the substance.

He jerked back in surprise. _That weird moss! _he thought. _From that stagnant pool that Onestar drank from. _He wished that he could see what color it was. The taste lingered on his tongue, not exactly good-tasting but not repulsive either—it lacked the horrible fire of the dark water, but somehow had the same essence of power that the water made him feel.

Feeling slightly foolish, he began to lick the moss off his paws, leaving his claws unsheathed. _This is really stupid, _he thought while he worked. _What if it's poisonous? _But curiosity, as it usually did, drove him forward. The moss's taste filled his mouth with soothing coolness, and his eyelids drooped with sudden tiredness. He yawned hugely, settling his muzzle on his paws and closed his eyes.

He awoke with a start, keeping his eyes closed as he stretched. He drew in a deep breath and stopped, his eyes popping open with shock. He found himself locked in by stone walls on all sides. He stood up quickly, feeling panic rise in his chest. _I'm in a dream, _he realized. _It's just a dream…but if I'm dreaming, why do I feel so afraid?_

He had just begun to run his paws over the walls when he heard a slight shuffling sound. He dove behind a cleft in the wall, knocking a pile of leaves out of the way. _StarClan help me, _he prayed.

"Calm down already." The shuffling sound became more pronounced and Jayfeather turned towards the sound. A white head had just begun to shove its way through a small hole in one of the corners that he had overlooked. As he watched incredulously, he recognized the black-and-white she-cat that had given Onestar a new life.

"You!" he gasped.

The she-cat turned her pale blue eyes on him. "Yes," she mewed snidely. "Me." She padded over to the cleft he was hiding by and deposited a mouthful of dark, spotted leaves in a pile. "Look at that, you messed up my stock." She clucked her tongue in disgust.

Jayfeather shuffled aside and watched her organize the leaves, plucking out the bruised ones and sorting them by size. "You're a medicine cat!" he realized.

The she-cat rolled her eyes. "You've noticed, have you?"

"Er…" He wasn't sure what to call this cat, but decided to go on anyway. "Do they…do much here?"

"They?" she repeated. "What, the herbs?" She flicked her tail to the neatly-stacked pile. "Not much, no, but I'm still in the habit of collecting them." She padded up to him and sniffed him delicately with her soft pink nose. "Jayfeather, right? I'm called Blackflower here."

"Blackflower?" he repeated. "You gave Onestar a life!"

"Yes," she mewed distantly. "More for his medicine cat than for him, I must say. That young cat has more potential than his leader does."

"You don't like _your _leader very much, do you? Brokenstar?"

She scoffed. "My leader," she echoed with a snarl on her face. "I don't think of him as anything to me. He wasn't even leader when I was alive. His father was." She glared up at the roof of the den as if she could see past it to StarClan. "He followed his _mate _to the stars."

Jayfeather's eyes widened. "How did you make it to here?" he asked. "I mean, you were close to StarClan…weren't you?"

Blackflower sighed, a sound filled with cynicism. "Do _you _listen to StarClan, Jayfeather? Do you think that they lead your Clan to the right places?" She sat down on her haunches, lifting a black paw to wash her face. "I didn't and still don't."

"But there has to be more than that to get you here," Jayfeather retorted.

Blackflower's blue eyes flashed dangerously. "Do you want to know why I'm here, ThunderClan cat?" she demanded fiercely. "If you're curious, I will tell you the tale. I've never called any other cat here, especially not some soft-pawed ThunderClan kit."

Ignoring the barb, Jayfeather mewed, "Tell me. I want to know."

Her eyes gleamed with respect. "Your curiosity will get you into trouble," she warned. "Be careful here, Jayfeather: some cats are not nearly as kind as I am."

Jayfeather didn't know what to say. He shuffled on his haunches nervously. "Will they come here? To this den?"

The black-and-white she-cat laughed. "No cat comes here," she chuckled. "And for other reasons than lack of herbs." She brought herself to her paws and turned her back to him. "I was born and raised in ShadowClan, seasons upon seasons before your leader, Firestar, was even born. The leader before Raggedstar was a she-cat named Reedstar, a fierce and proud leader." Blackflower paused for a heartbeat. "She was my mother, but she was cold and distant—caring more for ShadowClan's strength and her own power than for me. My father was killed in a WindClan raid on our camp before I was born.

"Reedstar deemed that I should be medicine cat, so I was passed off to our medicine cat, Silverblaze, when I was barely older than a kit. I learned fast, I must say, and quickly got my full name. I loved Silverblaze like a father—no cat meant more to me than he did." Her blue eyes almost were touched with emotion. "A disease swept through our Clan, and Silverblaze and I worked hard to save our Clan, but it was all in vain. Silverblaze caught the sickness and died." She closed her eyes.

Jayfeather watched the she-cat's face as she told her story. No affectionate emotion crossed her face even though she said she loved her mentor. _She's the cold one, _Jayfeather thought.

"Once Reedstar had been killed at the claws of the RiverClan leader, Froststar, her deputy, Raggedpelt, took the leadership position. He was wise and fair, learning from all my mother's mistakes that she was too proud to notice." She sank her claws into the ground. "I took an apprentice at the same time—a warrior's apprentice that had decided to become a medicine cat instead." She locked eyes with Jayfeather for the first time. "You know her as Yellowfang."

Jayfeather gasped. "_You _were Yellowfang's mentor?" he asked.

Blackflower nodded. "She was a smart apprentice," she admitted. "Although she was infatuated with Raggedstar." She curled her lip. "She tried to hide it, but I knew it would lead to nothing but trouble. I wouldn't find out until later that she had made a deadly mistake."

"What was it?" Jayfeather asked, barely able to stay sitting. "What did she do?" Oh, StarClan, what he would give to get the dirt on Yellowfang!

Blackflower eyed him with distaste. "Curiosity," she murmured to herself, then shook her head. "That's for her to tell you."

Jayfeather bared his teeth and hissed low in his throat.

Blackflower laughed. "Go ahead and try to hurt me," she challenged. "I can feel no pain here."

Jayfeather stared at her for a few more heartbeats, but her pale gaze never wavered. He lowered himself back on his haunches.

Blackflower shot him a triumphant look, then continued her story: "Yellowpaw was a good apprentice, as I said, but she didn't have the commitment that I did. She didn't care for the Clan as much as I did." Her claws tightened in the dirt. "All she saw was Raggedstar and all she wanted was his approval. She was overlooking the Clan and those within it."

"So what did you do?" Jayfeather pressed, not looking away from her face.

Blackflower spat. "There were sick cats in my Clan," she said in a low voice. "Cats that were never going to heal. I taught Yellowpaw to use yew berries to ease them on their way to StarClan."

Jayfeather gasped, leaping to his paws. "You killed them!" he screeched. "You killed the cats of your Clan!"

In a flash, Blackflower was on her paws. "You don't understand, kit!" she snarled. "You don't know how hard it was to watch the Clan that you protected and healed wither before your own eyes! You don't know how it was to see them struggle for life when you know that they were going to die, slowly and painfully!" She took a step forward so that she and Jayfeather were nose-to-nose. "When you feel what I felt, _then _you will understand why I acted the way I did."

"You killed them," Jayfeather repeated, taking a step backwards. "That's why you don't want your warrior name, isn't it? That's why you want to be called Raven!"

"Wrong again, Jayfeather," Blackflower said coldly. "I did not pick to be called the Raven. It was the title given to me after the greatest war in the Clans' history." Her eyes grew distant. "Almost before Yellowpaw had gained her full name, there was a great famine. We were starving to death—each cat in my Clan was little more than a pelt across bones.

"Raggedstar came to me and asked my advice. 'What do we do, Blackflower?' he demanded. 'What do we do? The Clan is dying!'

"'We need more territory,' I answered truthfully. 'StarClan have shown me nothing for guidance. It is your decision to make.'

"'He closed his amber eyes and sighed. 'We will attack tomorrow,' he said finally. 'At dawn. We shall strike ThunderClan while they are unsuspecting, and take a chunk of their territory by force.'

"Yellowpaw had watched the whole exchange with wide orange eyes. 'Will we survive, Raggedstar?' she asked in a small voice.

"'Raggedstar swept his tail down her flank. 'We will,' he answered. He looked over her head at me. 'I need to speak to you in private.'

"'Go out and see what you can do for Shrewface,' I told Yellowpaw. 'See if she will take some juniper to make her feel better.'

"After Yellowpaw had left, Raggedstar had pressed closer. 'I've been thinking about tactics,' he mewed slowly. 'And I think I have a plan.'

"'Oh?' I asked.

"'Yes…' He paused. 'I was thinking…that we could plant prey filled with herbs to make cats sick in ThunderClan territory as a warning.'

"I gasped. 'What?' I demanded. 'Are you serious?'

"'You use them for the ill,' he argued. 'You must have them in stock—yarrow and such.'

"'I do…but you want me to use them on healthy cats?'

"'ThunderClan need a warning to keep them out of our new territory,' Raggedstar reasoned. 'A little illness will get their attention.'

"I could see the resolution in his eyes, and it made me certain that this was the right way to go. He had such a way with words—he could tell the Clan to run into a forest fire and they would follow willingly. 'I'll see to it,' I had answered, and I didn't know that those words had sealed my fate."

Jayfeather sat down. "You put deathberries in the prey instead of yarrow, didn't you?" He felt sick, as if he himself had eaten the herbs.

"Yes. I wanted them to die—I wanted to _protect _my Clan! Why should ShadowClan starve while the others thrived?" Blackflower demanded. "I planted the herbs on ThunderClan territory and killed their warriors to save my own. Is that such a crime?"

"Yes!" Jayfeather yowled. "You killed them heartlessly!"

"I did it to save my Clan!" she hissed. "Cats called me the Raven because they knew if they saw me that death was on their heels. I commanded fear from all that challenged ShadowClan! No cat was safe from my wrath!" She bared her teeth in a fierce snarl.

"You're mad!" Jayfeather growled.

Blackflower let out a crack of laughter. "Of course you would think that," she mewed dispassionately. "You're one of _them. _I thought that you would understand: you have the same curiosity that I had, the same passion for your Clan that I did! Why don't you understand?"

"Let me leave," Jayfeather snarled. "Let me out of here!"

Blackflower looked at him with distaste. "You can leave if you want," she mewed, "but then you won't ever know how I died."

Jayfeather turned around and began searching for the hidden exit. "I don't care!" he spat.

Blackflower laughed. "Yes you do. You're _dying _to know."

Jayfeather bit his tongue as he fought the urge to wail in terror. This she-cat had been spoiled by her pride in her Clan, he realized. It had warped her mind to lead her paws on the path she trod. He turned back to face her shakily.

She gave him a triumphant glance. "I knew it," she purred. "Your urge to know things has led you here, and it won't let you leave until you have the full story." She flicked her tail and motioned for him to come back.

Jayfeather came slowly, his hackles up and bristling. "Hurry up and tell me, then."

"Soon after I earned the name 'the Raven,' I was caught on the battlefield by a ThunderClan cat named Bluefur."

"Bluestar," Jayfeather breathed.

Blackflower nodded. "It turns out that one of my traps had killed an important cat to her—her mentor or something." Jayfeather felt a shock pass through him at her casual mention of her murderous schemes. "She caught me and confronted me. I tried to pull off the 'Medicine cats don't fight' tactics, but she was too angry. She drove me away from the border and right into the claws of a waiting patrol." She twisted her head to the side and showed Jayfeather a long, brutal-looking scar to her throat. "The only fight I ever got into is the one that killed me."

"Why did you tell me this?" Jayfeather rasped. "Why did you trust me with this knowledge?"

Blackflower looked at him with the vaguest hint of gentleness. "I see a lot of myself in you, Jayfeather. You have the same drive to know and learn." She closed her eyes. "I would like to impart some of my knowledge to you."

"No way!" Jayfeather said immediately. "I don't want anything of yours!"

Blackflower rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a do-gooder, Jayfeather," she said impatiently. "I was medicine cat of ShadowClan for many, many seasons. I have much to teach you." She leaned closer, so close that Jayfeather took a step back. "Think it over," she breathed. "But you may want to think quickly: one in your Clan will soon die of illness that cannot be cured with normal herbs. I have the knowledge necessary to save that cat."

"Tell me who!" Jayfeather wanted to yowl, but the ground had dropped out from underneath him, sending him into darkness and back into the waking world.

His chest heaved as he sat up in his nest and twisted his head to the side. As he panted, he could tell that Leafpool had returned. He longed to tell her what he had just learned, but knew that she would disapprove. _Which cat will die? _he wondered. _Who is it? What if it's Lionblaze or Hollystar? What will I do then? _He got to his paws and shook out the moss from his pelt. He couldn't tell if it was sunrise yet, but somehow, being in with the herbs gave him the chills. The image of Blackflower and her fervent, pale eyes was burned in his mind. _We're nothing alike, _he spat internally. _I swear to StarClan that I will not turn out like her. _

The clearing was calm and quiet, and Jayfeather warred between going back in and going to sleep and wandering the camp. Deciding to get a piece of late-night fresh-kill, he padded in the direction he knew was correct. "I can get on fine by myself," he grumbled to himself as he plucked a mouse from the pile. The little body was cold and stiff, further reminding him of Blackflower and her score of victims. He quickly dropped the mouse back on the pile in disgust. "I won't be like her," he snarled, even with the picture of Blackflower dancing in the darkness of his vision.

"Like who?"

Jayfeather let out a gasp of shock. He took in scent and realized with shock that the cat was Briarpaw. "What are you doing up this late?" he demanded.

"I'm on watch," she mewed. "Birchfall told me it was alright." She snuffled at the ground. "Aren't you going to eat that?" She nudged the body of the mouse closer to his paws.

He quickly stepped back before it could touch him. "No, I'm not hungry."

"But you picked it up," she countered. "I saw you."

Jayfeather fought the urge to claw her. "Mind your own business," he spat finally.

Briarpaw purred. "Are you keeping secrets?" she whispered confidentially, and Jayfeather could almost see her tilt her head to the side.

"No!" he mewed quickly—too quickly to be subtle, he realized too late.

Briarpaw laughed softly. "Don't worry," she mewed cheerfully. "I'll keep your secret safe!"

"And I'll keep yours," he retorted. "You should pad after someone in your own Clan, Briarpaw."

He felt her ripple of surprise. "W-what are you talking about?" she hedged.

Jayfeather sighed irritably. "Every cat in the Clan has noticed how you followed Flamepaw around. He's in ShadowClan _and _a medicine cat. He's off limits to you and to every other cat. Medicine cats cannot take mates." Despite his words, Jayfeather's thoughts winged to Leafpool and Crowfeather but he shut it down quickly.

"I didn't say anything like that," Briarpaw said defensively. "You should take your own advice, Jayfeather!" She flounced away and settled down by the camp entrance with a huff.

Jayfeather shook his head and turned back to the den. Padding inside, he sighed at the scent of herbs which, for once, did not soothe him.

* * *

**I really, _really _liked writing this chapter. And it's lucky number thirteen! How cool is that?**

**So, I don't believe in the so-named "canonocity" of Code of Code of the Clans, or Cats of the Clans, or whatever that book was called that had Yellowfang's history in it, and I'm tired of all the big, bad Dark Forest cats being fierce-and-scarred toms. So, I made up a dainty little she-cat that makes the bad boys shake in their metaphorical boots. ^^**

**I'm such a feminist.**

**R&R! (Or "rar" for you, Jaggedwing! (Love the name, btw) XD)**

**Shadow**


	15. Chapter 13

**These chapters are steadily getting longer and longer. This one's nearly 4K. I hope you guys don't mind. :D**

**You know what's cool? The Titanic movie. It's totally my second favorite movie _ever_. I love it so much. ^^**

**But of course, its ending may be why all of my fics are so depressing...and it might give away what I have planned for the end of this fic. -evil grin- Or not. **

* * *

Lionblaze crouched close to Cinderheart and gently swiped his tongue down the side of her neck. "Are you sure?" he asked her—not for the first time.

Her blue eyes glowed as she leaned into him, letting out a loud, smooth purr. "Positive."

Nearly half a moon had passed since the battle in the WindClan camp, and every cat's wounds were almost fully healed. Lionblaze still harbored bad thoughts about the battle—some on how he wasn't allowed to go to the battle—but mostly he was worried about the repercussions of the battle on ThunderClan's health. What if WindClan decided to retaliate? What if a cat died?

Leafpool padded out of the den. "Alright, Cinderheart. Come with me, please." She flicked her tail and motioned for the gray tabby she-cat to enter the den.

"I hope it's true," Lionblaze murmured to her as she stood up and shook her pelt. "I love you."

Cinderheart pressed her muzzle to his and mewed, "I love you, too."

Lionblaze watched her disappear into the darkness of the den with a sigh. He got to his paws and began to pace outside the den, keeping his eyes fixed on his paws. _What am I going to do if she's wrong about this? _he questioned himself. _What's going to happen? _He growled low under his breath.

"Lionblaze, what are you so worried about?" Daisy came up and swept her tail down his flank. "You're acting like she's the only cat to ever have kits." Her blue eyes glittered teasingly.

"What if she loses them again?" he mewed desperately. "What if she never recovers?"

Daisy pressed her nose to his. "All will be well, Lionblaze. You were a strong kit like she was—your own kits will be just as tough."

Lionblaze purred at the cat that had helped raise him. "Thanks, Daisy," he purred.

Daisy blinked in happiness, then turned to talk softly with Rosepaw, who was lying in the sun.

Lionblaze let out a shaky breath that he didn't know he was holding. Of course Cinderheart would be okay—he was a little angry at himself for thinking otherwise. Sitting back down, he looked around the clearing at the Clan: Longtail and Mousefur had just poked their heads out of the elders' den—Longtail letting Brambleclaw lean on his shoulder.

"Here we go, Brambleclaw," Longtail was mewing. "We'll go nice and slow so you really stretch out those muscles."

"We don't need to go slow," the dark tabby panted as they began to walk. "I need to strengthen up this leg again."

"Don't be a mousebrain, Brambleclaw," Mousefur spat, coming to walk on his other side. "You need to build up strength; you don't just gain it all back quickly. You need to be patient. Hey, Lionblaze!" she called. "Come over here and tell your father."

Lionblaze stifled a laugh at the look on his father's face. If Brambleclaw had a goal, nothing ever stood in his way. "Be cooperative, Brambleclaw," he urged. "Don't make Mousefur upset."

The dusky she-cat gave a teasing snarl. "Don't treat me like I'm helpless, kit. I've been in more battles and on more patrols than _you."_

"Of course, of course," he chuckled in response. "Why don't I help Brambleclaw around? I need to tell him something."

"Alright," Longtail agreed readily. "Come on, Mousefur. You can come with me into the forest so I don't run into a tree!"

Lionblaze watched the two elders pad away, bickering all the while, before pressing his shoulder against his father's uninjured one. "Ready?" he asked.

Brambleclaw set his jaw and nodded stiffly. "Ready."

They started off painfully slow. Brambleclaw hissed in pain at every other pawstep, his amber eyes watering and clouding over.

Trying to distract him, Lionblaze mewed, "The Clan looks strong even after that WindClan battle."

"Yes," Brambleclaw agreed. "Hollystar picked good warriors to go along. They brought honor to ThunderClan with their obedience."

"Do you think WindClan will attack us?"

Brambleclaw was silent for a few heartbeats before murmuring, "Yes, I do. But they won't yet—Onestar will give his cats time to recover before he launches a revenge attack."

Lionblaze grimaced at the prospect. "I hope he decides it's not worth it," he mumbled.

Brambleclaw laughed. "Onestar already has his mind made up. He follows through with the things he starts." His eyes clouded with memories. "I was there when Tallstar gave the deputyship to him with his dying breath."

"Really?" Lionblaze looked at his father's face eagerly. "What was it like?"

"It was chaos," he replied. "The deputy for many moons before Onestar was a cat named Mudclaw. He was fierce and proud—always looking out for the best for his Clan. He was an admirable warrior and a strong warrior, but he was too competitive and Tallstar wished for ThunderClan and WindClan to be allies like we had been for many, many seasons past."

"We were allies with WindClan?" Lionblaze gasped, unable to believe it.

Brambleclaw nodded. "Firestar went with Graystripe to fetch them back after Brokenstar—the leader of ShadowClan at the time—drove them from their territory. That day, Tallstar pledged his allegiance to ThunderClan." Brambleclaw bared his teeth. "The other two Clans hated this alliance, thinking that we only were together to take over the forest. Many battles followed it."

"Where you born then?" Lionblaze asked as they started on their second round of the clearing.

"No. I was born just before Tigerstar was exiled from ThunderClan. There was a terrible fire when I was a kit, and Firestar saved my life. Our medicine cat, Yellowfang, was killed by the smoke." He shook his head. "I need to rest."

Lionblaze stopped and helped his father to stretch out on the sandy ground near the wall of the camp. Settling down on his haunches beside him, he mewed, "Go on, please."

Brambleclaw panted for a few heartbeats, flexing his shoulder muscles. "Okay," he agreed. "After the fire, Cinderpelt became the medicine cat."

"Is she the one that Cinderheart was named after?" Lionblaze interrupted.

Brambleclaw laughed. "Yes," he agreed. "She took care of the Clan. When your mother and I, along with cats from the other Clans, went on the journey to the mountains, the Clans starved. Twolegs were ripping the forest apart, scattering prey and capturing warriors to try to turn them into kittypets or worse. Leafpool, Brightheart, and Cloudtail were captured." He closed his eyes and shuddered. "Graystripe was among those captured and was the only one to not escape."

"So Firestar made you the deputy?" Lionblaze asked.

"I thought you wanted to hear about WindClan?" Brambleclaw flicked his tail in amusement.

"I do," Lionblaze backtracked quickly.

"Alright then. As I was saying," Brambleclaw went on, "when we returned, WindClan was hit the hardest. They had no prey and their elders and apprentices were dying of hunger. Tallstar came to the ThunderClan camp and begged Firestar to leave the forest. Firestar argued with him, saying he didn't want to leave without his daughters and his best friend. Tallstar resented him for it, but told us that his Clan was too weak to go without ThunderClan's help. When we finally decided to leave, the trip was hard and grueling.

"But the new territory was worth it. Tallstar died right after we arrived, and nullified Mudclaw's deputyship. He wanted Onestar—Onewhisker then—to be deputy so he could continue on the friendliness between his Clan and ours." Brambleclaw fell silent.

"Is that it?" Lionblaze pressed. "We went from being the best of friends to mortal enemies?" He couldn't imagine it: WindClan and ThunderClan, running side-by-side like littermates. Whenever he thought of WindClan, he saw the madness of Onestar and the image of his ravaged face. The WindClan warriors were like shadows of the moors—following their leader into the darkness of insanity.

"Lionblaze!"

He turned and saw Cinderheart waving her tail from outside the medicine den. His heart beat with happiness and he got to his paws quickly, looking back down at Brambleclaw awkwardly.

The dark tabby purred knowingly. "Oh, go on," he chuckled. "I'll see if I can get Squirrelflight over here to help me."

Lionblaze nodded to him and ran his muzzle over his father's ears swiftly, then turned and raced over to his mate. "Well?" he asked immediately. "What did she say?"

Cinderheart gave a happy mew. "I'm expecting kits!"

Lionblaze thought his heart would burst with happiness. He pressed his muzzle to hers and twined tails. "I'm so happy," he murmured in her ear. "This time will go better. I know it."

Cinderheart sighed quietly. "I don't want to tell anyone yet."

Lionblaze drew back. "Not even your mother?" he asked confusedly.

She shook her head. "Just in case this ends…badly." She took a deep breath. "I hope that's alright with you."

Lionblaze licked her ear gently. "Of course," he mewed gently. "I'm sure our kits will be as beautiful as you."

She laughed. "And hopefully as strong as you are," she replied affectionately.

Lionblaze purred happily as the scent of his mate wreathed around him. He closed his eyes blissfully as images of his future kits bloomed in his mind. He could see them now: a golden tabby like himself or maybe a gray she-kit with his amber eyes.

"Lionblaze, come here. I need you."

Lionblaze curled his lip at Hollystar's voice. _Looks like the daydream's over, _he thought darkly. "What do you want, Hollystar?" he demanded, turning around to face her.

"I want you to run a patrol to the ShadowClan border. Make sure that the scent markers are fresh." She flicked her tail. "Take your apprentice with you and two other warriors."

"_Two _warriors?" he echoed.

She nodded. "I'm not taking any chances of our cats getting injured anymore—not with WindClan after our blood." She paused and glanced over Cinderheart before returning her gaze to him. "Take care of it, will you?"

"Of course," he answered. As Hollystar padded away to speak with Spiderleg, Lionblaze turned to Cinderheart regretfully.

She purred and pressed her muzzle to his. "It's alright," she mewed. "I'm feeling hungry anyway. I think I'll go get a piece of fresh-kill."

"Okay," he responded. "I'll see you when I get back." He gave her one last lick before turning away to the apprentices' den. "Blossompaw! Come on, we're going on a patrol!"

The little tortoiseshell-patched she-cat came padding slowly out of the den. She shook out her pelt and nodded, stifling a yawn. "Where are we going?"

"To the ShadowClan border," he responded. "Hollystar wants us to check the scent markers. Do you remember the scent of ShadowClan?"

She nodded. "You taught me that the first day of my apprenticeship," she mewed promptly. "As well as the border markers of the dead ash and the clearing. It was three days before the last Gathering."

Lionblaze was surprised by her remembrance of every detail. "Very good," he praised.

She dropped her gaze, but her tail was flicking happily. "Thank you, Lionblaze."

"Let's go and get two warriors to join us." He looked up and glanced around the clearing. "Hey, Foxclaw!" he called. "You and Ferncloud up for a patrol?"

The reddish tom quickly ran up, his amber eyes shining. "Sure!" he mewed cheerfully. "Do you want me to go fetch her?"

"I'm here already," the speckled she-cat mewed, stretching her legs in the sun as she padded out of the warriors' den. "ShadowClan, you said?"

"Yeah, Hollystar wants us to check the border." Lionblaze glanced up at the sky—just about sunhigh. Looking back down at his patrol, he mewed, "We have plenty of time to get there. Let's head out!"

As the patrol moved through the sunlit forest, Lionblaze's mind was consumed with the thoughts of his kits. What were good names? Ripplekit? Stormkit? Leopardkit? _Cinderheart will know, _he reassured himself. _She'll know best._

"Lionblaze, pay attention!"

He started at the sound of his name. Ferncloud watched with a flicking tail, her green eyes not amused. "Er…what?" he asked.

Ferncloud let out an exasperated sigh. "I asked if you wanted to go along a little further up the boundary." She tilted her ears in the direction of the back of the territory.

"Sure," he agreed quickly, moving forward to take the lead of the patrol. Foxclaw and Blossompaw were chatting happily as they trailed behind.

"So are you enjoying being an apprentice?" the reddish tom asked kindly.

"So far yes," Blossompaw responded. "I really like tracking." She looked up at Lionblaze with bright blue eyes.

"I'm glad," Lionblaze responded, giving her a flick over the ears. He was surprised at how much the little she-cat had come out of her shell. "You'll be a warrior in no time."

"What do you want your name to be?" Foxclaw asked her, his amber eyes glowing. "I wanted to be called Foxcatcher, but I think that Firestar named me alright in the end."

Blossompaw paused, her face scrunched in concentration. "I don't know," she said at last. "Maybe Blossomstorm or Blossomspots. Those would be good names, I think."

Ferncloud purred. "I like Blossomspots, myself."

"What about Blossomfeather?" Foxclaw suggested.

Blossompaw made a face. "That's a mouthful," she mewed. "So is Blossomwhisker."

Lionblaze opened his mouth to teasingly suggest the name Blossomflower, when he caught a sudden scent. "Who's there?" he called into the deep shadows of the enemy territory.

There was silence for a few heartbeats as the patrol took in scent. Lionblaze padded even closer to the border. "Who's there!?" he repeated in a louder voice, his claws curling into the bare ground at his paws.

"Cut the noise, ThunderClan cat," a cat snarled derisively. "Do you want to attract the attention of everything in the forest, eh?" A small ShadowClan patrol appeared from gloom.

"Rowanclaw!" Ferncloud gasped. "What are you doing this close to the border?"

"How is that any of your business?" a dark gray tom with bright orange eyes demanded.

"Shut up, Scorchblaze," a black-and-white tom hissed. "We're here to talk to them, after all."

"What do you want, Rowanclaw?" Lionblaze asked calmly, keeping the fur on his shoulders settled. "Why are you here?"

Rowanclaw stepped forward so that he was across the border and nose-to-nose with Lionblaze. He bent his head and lowered his voice to meow, "I wanted to thank you."

Lionblaze recoiled with a gasp. "For what?" he demanded.

"For returning my son uninjured." Rowanclaw pulled back and narrowed his eyes. "I blame your leader for keeping Flamepaw so long, but I'm thankful that he wasn't injured. If it were WindClan who had captured him…" He trailed off, curling his lip.

"And you brought a patrol out here to tell us that?" Foxclaw asked disbelievingly, his eyes on the muscular black-and-white warrior.

"No. That's just my own little add-in." Rowanclaw stepped back to stand among the other ShadowClan cats. "Blackstar sent to me speak with Hollystar about certain noises we heard a few nights ago. It seems that the scent of one of your warriors was found over our border." He bared his teeth. "We've come to demand what that's all about."

Lionblaze twisted his head to look at his patrol. "Did you scent anything?" he asked them.

Foxclaw and Ferncloud shook their heads, but Blossompaw didn't make eye contact. Taking this as normal, Lionblaze turned back and answered, "We don't know what you're talking about."

The black-and-white warrior stepped forward. "That's why we're going to speak to your leader," he hinted.

"Be easy, Crowfrost," Rowanclaw murmured. "It might have been a fox or something."

Crowfrost looked incredulous. "Are you serious?" he demanded. "Do you have bees in your brain? We _scented _ThunderClan on our side!"

Scorchblaze muttered, "You're going to be ThunderClan's kittypet just because they rescued the medicine cat apprentice?"

Rowanclaw snarled and cuffed Scorchblaze under the jaw with an unsheathed forepaw. "Watch what you say!" he hissed furiously. "That's my son you're talking about!"

Scorchblaze staggered back and lifted a paw to his chin, looking astonished at the blood on his paw. "You can't hit me!" he gasped. "I'll tell Blackstar!"

Crowfrost chuckled darkly. "It's not a good idea to be making enemies with the deputy," he grumbled.

"Deputy?" Lionblaze echoed. "What happened to Russetfur?"

"She's dead," Rowanclaw answered shortly. "Illness got her. It's not something that weakened the Clan, though, so don't get any ideas." He lifted his head. "I'm the deputy now, and I won't be making any mistakes."

Ferncloud's eyes flitted from Lionblaze to Rowanclaw. "Are we taking him to her?" she asked in a low voice.

Lionblaze nodded. "Only Rowanclaw comes," he said firmly.

"No can do," Crowfrost answered. "We've got our orders."

"Do you think we're stupid enough to attack your camp with just three warriors?" Scorchblaze rolled his eyes. "Get real."

Foxclaw tightened his claws in the dirt. "We have no choice then."

Lionblaze turned to Blossompaw. "Go to camp and tell Hollystar we're coming with a ShadowClan patrol. Hurry!" he urged her.

She took off like a bird in flight, and Lionblaze motioned for Ferncloud and Foxclaw to take up defensive positions around the three enemy warriors. "We'll escort you to camp."

Rowanclaw dipped his head peaceably, but Scorchblaze curled his lip. Crowfrost let out a low growl at the younger warrior and Scorchblaze quickly settled down.

Lionblaze fell in step next to Rowanclaw. "So how is Tawnypelt?" he asked conversationally.

"Fine," Rowanclaw replied stiffly. "As are Tigerpaw and Dawnpaw."

"Did Flamepaw get in trouble with Blackstar?"

Rowanclaw glanced over at him with suspiciously. "No."

"Ah," Lionblaze mewed, unsure of what to say. He heard Crowfrost's low chuckle behind him.

"So tell us," the black-and-white warrior growled. "How was the battle with WindClan? Any casualties?"

Ferncloud spat. "That is none of your business," she hissed.

The ShadowClan cats let out a chorus of amused purrs, then fell silent for the rest of the journey.

When they reached the camp, Hollystar was waiting with a line of bristling warriors. "Why have you come here?" she demanded to the ShadowClan cats. "What is your purpose?"

Rowanclaw stepped forward and dipped his head politely—a greeting from a deputy to the leader of another Clan. "Greetings, Hollystar. I have a message for you from Blackstar. For your ears only," he added, when Hollystar didn't reply.

Hollystar's green eyes flashed suspiciously, but she agreed with a quick mew. "We will go into the forest. It's easier." Her eyes narrowed. "Your warriors will stay here."

Scorchblaze bristled angrily, but Crowfrost reached out a large paw to steady him. "We will wait here for you, Rowanclaw," he said in his deep voice.

"Of course, of course." Rowanclaw and Hollystar padded into the depths of the forest together, close enough to see their vague outlines, but far enough away to not be able to hear them.

Lionblaze wanted desperately to listen to what they were saying, but knew he couldn't get away with it with so many warriors around. He looked towards the camp entrance and saw Jayfeather pad out, his eyes filled with uncharacteristic concern.

"What's going on?" Lionblaze asked him, bounding up to him.

"W-what?" Jayfeather asked blankly, not seeming to hear him. Then his ears pricked and he disguised whatever emotion was showing in his eyes. "I'm fine," he mewed shortly.

Lionblaze felt a prickle of sadness course up his spine. How had all the trust between them disappeared like this? Where was the trust they had had as littermates? "Are you worried about something?"

As if he had read his mind—and he probably had, Lionblaze thought—Jayfeather mewed, "Actually, yes. I'm afraid that there will be an illness soon."

Lionblaze was shocked. "What makes you think that?" he asked, aghast.

Jayfeather shook his head. "It's just a feeling I had," he mumbled. "Keep an eye out for it, will you?" He flicked his tail down Lionblaze's flank and padded back into camp.

Lionblaze turned to call him back when he saw Hollystar pad out of the woods, Rowanclaw right on her paws.

"Very interesting," Hollystar mewed. "I will see to it that I put some thought into that."

Rowanclaw narrowed his eyes. "Be sure that you do," he replied testily, flicking his tail for his warriors to follow.

"Honeyfern, Berrynose, if you could escort them to the border, please? You too, Bumblepaw." Hollystar dipped her head once more to the ShadowClan cats, then turned and padded into the camp, flicking her tail for the Clan to follow.

Lionblaze ran up to pad by her side. "What was that all about?" he demanded.

Hollystar, infuriatingly enough, shook her head. "Nothing for you to worry about," she replied, picking up the pace to race up the fallen rocks and disappear into her den.

Lionblaze watched her go incredulously. He hissed low under his breath. _Why doesn't she trust me? _he raged inside his mind. _What happened to the trust in the Clan!? _He took a deep breath and turned to go to the warriors' den.

"You're upset. I can tell." Cinderheart came padding over from the den and pressed her flank to his. "Everything will be alright," she mewed calmingly. "I know everything will turn out alright."

Lionblaze looked into her deep blue eyes and felt his spirits lift. "Maybe," he sighed, resting his chin on top of her head. "Maybe."

* * *

**Yaaay! Trust is partially restored! Woot!**

**Oh yeah, and I'mma start killing off cats soon. Yay!**

**I'm off to watch Titanic now. -sighs blissfully- I really do love that movie. **

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	16. Chapter 14

**I am an updating BEAST! **

**XDDDD**

* * *

Jayfeather listened to Brambleclaw panting as he attempted—not for the first time—to walk as steadily as he could. His accelerated heartbeat and the audible gritting of his teeth betrayed him as he tried to support his weight on his injured leg.

"How's…this?" he rasped out.

Jayfeather hesitated. "It's not as bad as before," he said finally. "You're improving, it seems."

He could feel the burst of happiness that his words inspired in the former deputy, and bit his tongue to keep the truth from pouring out of his mouth—that Brambleclaw would never walk or be able to hunt again. "Why don't you lie down for a while?" he suggested. "You worked pretty hard with Lionblaze yesterday, after all."

Brambleclaw snorted. "I walked around the clearing once," he pointed out. "I used to be able to run across the whole _territory _without getting winded." A grunt told Jayfeather that Brambleclaw had settled down. "Tell me the truth, Jayfeather. Am I going to be able to walk again or not?"

Jayfeather turned his face away so he wouldn't give himself away. "It's possible," he hedged. "But you need to be taking herbs everyday at least twice a day."

"Anything to walk again." Brambleclaw's words were reinforced by the emotion behind them. "I'd give anything."

Jayfeather's heart was torn with sorrow for Brambleclaw. He wasn't his father, true enough, but Jayfeather had lived the first four seasons of his life believing he was. He cared for Brambleclaw, and didn't want to cause him unnecessary pain. "I'll get you some marigold and some poppy seeds."

"I'll wait here," Brambleclaw hissed from behind clenched teeth. He let out a low sigh.

Jayfeather turned away and trotted back to his den, locating the herbs by memory and scent. The marigold was easy to find with its bittersweet scent, but the entire stock of poppy was gone. Frowning, he squeezed into the extra storage space in the back of the den to feel around for some more, but none touched his paw. He hissed in irritation.

_Leafpool said she'd fill the stock! _He snarled aloud, lashing his unsheathed paw in the air. _Maybe if she actually was here some of the time, she could have collected all the poppy in the whole StarClan-forsaken forest! _

Backing out of the den, he shook his pelt free from herb dust, sneezing loudly when it tickled his nose. Batting at his muzzle with one paw, Jayfeather stooped and grabbed a mouthful of marigold, then turned and hobbled out of the den and back into the clearing.

Sneezing again, Jayfeather dropped the marigold at Brambleclaw's paws. "Eat all of it," he mewed thickly, shaking his head.

Concern washed from the dark tabby's pelt. "Are you alright, Jayfeather?"

Jayfeather nodded wearily. "I just got some"—he let out an enormous sneeze—"herb dust in my nose," he finished, sniffling.

"Well, be more careful next time," Brambleclaw mewed worriedly. "You need to take care of yourself. We don't need our medicine cat getting sick." He laughed.

Jayfeather froze, one paw in midair to swipe at his muzzle. _Getting sick…_ "Hey, Brambleclaw," he began conversationally. "Have you noticed if any cat has been ill?"

"Er…not really." Brambleclaw sounded confused. "The only cats I see regularly are Longtail, Mousefur, and Squirrelflight." He paused. "Actually, Mousefur did feel a little warm yesterday when she was helping me walk."

Panic shot icily through Jayfeather's veins. "Thanks," he mumbled hastily, sidestepping Brambleclaw and racing to the elders' den. He burst in without a greeting, and was met by a very startled Mousefur.

"StarClan!" she hissed in surprise. "What has gotten into you?"

Jayfeather pressed his muzzle to her side and listened to her heartbeat anxiously, thinking all the while of Blackflower's ominous parting words: _one in your Clan will soon die of illness that cannot be cured with normal herbs._

"Can I _help _you, Jayfeather?" Mousefur's voice was amplified with Jayfeather's ear pressed against her flank. "A simple hello is a good way to greet someone."

"Do you feel weak or shaky?" Jayfeather automatically went into medicine cat mode. "Have you been eating regularly?"

"Er…_no?_" Mousefur did not sound amused. "And I've been eating fine, thank you very much. I'd appreciate not being woken up by a mousebrained cat barging into my den, though." Her irritation cut through him like a claw. "Maybe you can look into _that._"

"You don't feel feverish," he murmured, mostly to himself. "What about Longtail? Is he fine?" He lifted his head to scent for the younger cat, but he could detect nothing fresh.

"He went out in the forest with Hazeltail guiding him. She's such a nice she-cat," Mousefur went on. "I wasn't too sure of her and her littermates when they moved here—what with their kittypet blood—but all in all I think it turned out for the best."

"Mmm," Jayfeather mumbled, not really paying attention. "Are you sure you're alright?" he pressed.

"I'm fine!" Mousefur snapped. "And so is Longtail, but _you _won't be if you don't keep pestering me."

"Alright, alright," Jayfeather agreed, knowing that the old she-cat knew how to use her claws. "Just tell me if you're ever feeling even the slightest bit ill, okay?"

"I'll think about it." Mousefur's voice faded slightly as she turned her back on him.

Stifling a sigh, Jayfeather padded outside to speak with Brambleclaw again, but the dark tabby tom was deep in conversation with Cloudtail. Not wanting to interrupt, Jayfeather padded out into the forest to find some poppy.

The grass was cool under his paws as he trod in the direction of the WindClan border—the best place to find poppy flowers. He closed his eyes against a warm breeze gusted across his face, buffeting his whiskers and tugging at his pelt. _At least greenleaf is on its way here finally, _Jayfeather thought as he walked. _Prey will be plentiful soon. _Wistfulness washed over him as he thought of sinking his claws into prey, but he knew that life was not for him.

He reached the poppy place in good time, and bent his head to sniff among the plants, seeking out the flower heads that were already dead and drying. Plucking a mouthful of them, he lifted his head and enjoyed the sensation of another breeze across his face. He shook out his pelt happily and turned to go back to camp, not detecting any unusual scent of WindClan.

_Brambleclaw will be alright with these herbs now, _he thought. He frowned. _But why did he say Mousefur felt feverish? You can't mess that up. _Jayfeather thought back to the conversation—Brambleclaw said that the two elders had helped him walk yesterday, but what else had he said? _"The only cats I see regularly are Longtail, Mousefur, and Squirrelflight."_

The poppy flowers fell silently from his mouth as he realized what had happened—who exactly Brambleclaw had gotten confused with Mousefur.

Squirrelflight.

"Oh, StarClan, no!" Jayfeather cried, the poppy flowers forgotten as he raced, dangerously fast, back to the ThunderClan clearing. It was so easy—Brambleclaw was too busy concentrating on his exercise to see who was with him, even if that cat was his mate. _He got them confused, _Jayfeather realized. _Please, StarClan, let me be wrong! _

Jayfeather burst into the clearing, wildly drawing in scent to locate Squirrelflight.

"Jayfeather?" Bumblepaw's voice was sharp with shock. "What's wrong?"

"Squirrelflight," Jayfeather gasped. "Where's Squirrelflight?"

"She's just below the leader's den," Bumblepaw answered, sounding worried. "Jayfeather, what's—"

But Jayfeather had already raced away. As he approached the base of the Highledge, Squirrelflight's scent became clearer. "Squirrelflight," he rasped, out of breath, "are you okay?"

Squirrelflight's voice was quizzical when she replied, "Jayfeather? Why are you in such a rush?"

"Are you okay?" he panted. But as he drew in scent, he recognized the answer. "You're sick!" He pressed closer to her and rested his muzzle on her pelt.

"I'm fine, Jayfeather," she mewed calmly. "I'm just feeling a little tired, that's all." He heard her let out a long yawn.

"Squirrelflight, you're feverish." Jayfeather cursed Leafpool for not being with him to tell him what to do. "I think you should come to the medicine den."

"I'm fine!" she insisted with another yawn. "I just need to sleep! I was up running patrols along the WindClan border all last night."

"Don't you dare go to sleep," he warned. "Stay awake, you hear me? Tell me what you did yesterday: what you ate, did you get bitten by something—"

"Calm down, Jayfeather," Squirrelflight mewed sleepily. "All I need is a little nap and I'll be just fine." Her tail whipped Jayfeather's legs as it curled around her paws.

He shook her shoulder fiercely. "Stay awake!" he hissed. "You need to stay awake!"

But it was useless—she was already asleep and snoring lightly.

_What do I do? What do I do? _Jayfeather shuffled his paws in agitation against the sandy ground. _Maybe I'm wrong and she's really not sick, _he thought hopefully. _I can't tell if her eyes are dilated—I need some cat to help me. _

He whirled around and lifted his nose to catch any scent. "Millie!" he called, knowing the she-cat was eating by the side of the crushed half-rock. "Millie, can you help me, please?"

She bounded over at once. "What's wrong?" she demanded. "What's wrong with Squirrelflight? She's twitching!"

Jayfeather took a deep breath. "Can you tell me if her pupils are wide or not?" He tried to keep the plea out of his voice. "I think she may be sick."

"Her eyes are already open," Millie mewed. There was a pause as the she-cat looked into Squirrelflight's eyes. "They are," she confirmed.

"Her eyes _are _dilated?" Jayfeather pressed.

"Yes." Millie sounded worried. "Does she have greencough?"

Jayfeather shook his head. "I think she's been poisoned."

"Poisoned!" Millie gasped. "Well, where's Leafpool? Surely she can tell what to do?"

Jayfeather was unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice when he replied, "She's not here. I don't know where she is." He sighed. "Will you help me to move her into the medicine den?"

"Of course," she immediately agreed. "Graystripe! Come help us here!"

The deputy charged over. "What happened?" he demanded.

"I'll tell you later," Jayfeather promised. "Just help me for now. I need to get some nettle seeds into her, and maybe some yarrow. I'm not sure if she swallowed the poison or she got bit by something…" Jayfeather trailed off, his panic fueled by Blackflower's words. The dark medicine cat's words swirled in his mind in an endless loop. "_I have the knowledge necessary to save that cat. I have the knowledge necessary to save that cat."_

"Just put her somewhere," Jayfeather mewed distractedly, as his paws fumbled through the herb piles, his distress making the process twice as long. He forced himself to stop and take a deep breath, coasting his paw over the stock—just barely brushing the tops of the leaves and berries. Something small and spiky brushed his pad and he knew he had found nettle seeds.

He quickly scooped them up, grinding them up in between his back teeth. "Pry her jaws open," he muttered, coming back over to stand at Squirrelflight's side.

Graystripe mewed, "They're open." His voice was shaky.

Jayfeather reached out with a forepaw and gently brushed down Squirrelflight's face—feeling for her muzzle. Finally finding it after what seemed like an eternity, he quickly deposited the herbs in her jaws. "Soak some moss in that pool over there," he ordered to Millie, pointing with his tail.

There was a scraping noise followed by the tell-tale sound of dripping water and Millie pressed the cool bundle against Jayfeather's shoulder. He took it from her and pressed the soaking moss against Squirrelflight's parted jaws.

"Did she drink it?" he demanded.

Graystripe's scent grew stronger as he leaned closer. "I can't tell," he mewed. "I think so."

"No, she didn't." Millie guided Jayfeather's paw to Squirrelflight's neck. "Feel there? It just ran out of her mouth."

Jayfeather sat back with a thump. He was helpless here, he realized. He couldn't make Squirrelflight drink the water, nor could he figure out why she was poisoned in the first place. Without either of these factors, the she-cat would surely die.

Unless…

Jayfeather stood up suddenly. He knew what he had to do. "Try to get her to drink," he told Graystripe and Millie. "I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?" the deputy called after him, but Jayfeather was already pounding through the clearing and out into the forest.

His breath came in sharp pants as he raced through the woods, memory aiding him to avoid obstacles. _Please let me remember where it is! _He closed his eyes as he shouldered his way through the bracken and brambles, thorns catching on his ears and yanking on his pelt.

The faint scent of Twoleg's whirled past him as he ran past it. _Now to the WindClan border, _he thought, _and then back to the edge of ThunderClan territory. It's there! The Darkpool is there! _

He backtracked as soon as he scented WindClan and padded along the faint path he could feel beneath his paws. "This is right!" he murmured to himself. "Almost there." He nearly lost his footing as he slipped on a patch of wet stone, and had to spread his claws wide to keep his grip. Sliding and skidding, he scrambled down the embankment and landed belly deep in slimy, stagnant water.

He quickly squirmed out of it and shook his pelt, feeling the chill of the water creep through his thick pelt. Lifting his muzzle, he took in a deep breath and recognized the scent of the horrible water. "Guess I'm here," he mumbled, taking a step backwards and sniffing at the stone at his paws.

He wasn't exactly sure of how to contact Blackflower, but licking the moss had worked last time and he had to hurry. Steeling his reserve, he scrunched up his face and licked up a mouthful of the thin moss. The taste filmed his tongue as it had before, filling him with the feeling of tainted power. He shuddered, then rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes.

Before his eyes even reopened, he heard Blackflower's sardonic voice: "I knew you'd come back to me, Jayfeather."

"Cut the mousedung and tell me what I need to know!" he snarled.

Blackflower sat back down and clucked her tongue in distaste. "Temper, temper. You should work on that. I have some herbs that will—"

"Can you please tell me what's wrong with Squirrelflight, please?" he demanded, extending his claws. "Please."

Blackflower came padding over to him and sat down close by, leaning in closer to look deeply into his eyes with her icy blue stare. Jayfeather couldn't keep eye contact, much to his shame. She laughed softly. "I can tell you," she said finally. She got to her paws and turned around. "That she-cat—what's her name? Squirrelpelt?"

"Squirrel_flight_," Jayfeather corrected in a snarl.

"There's no need to talk like that," Blackflower snapped, and in that instant, Jayfeather saw some of Yellowfang in her. _So that's how Yellowfang became so grouchy. _

"Sorry," he mewed grudgingly.

Blackflower smirked. "These herbs here"—she waved her tail towards a pile of leaves that spiked in three points—"will heal your she-cat friend. But there will consequences."

"Such as?" Jayfeather demanded.

Blackflower shrugged. "Hallucinations and unending hunger for a few days. Just make sure she eats them with plenty of water."

"She won't drink. She's unconscious."

"Is that so?" She sounded surprised. "In that case, take some of these, too." She disappeared into one of the clefts of her den, returning with some dark red berries that glinted slightly, despite the fact there was only a little light. "These will wake her up for sure. Just knead them into a poultice and apply them to her tongue."

"What are they called?" he asked, leaning closer to inspect them.

Blackflower laughed without humor. "They aren't yew berries, if that's what you think," she mewed derisively. "They have no name in _your _Clan, but in ShadowClan, we called them shineberries." She tilted her ears to motion to the leaves. "Those are called shardleaves."

"These are old territory herbs?" he questioned, taking in the scent of the new herbs.

Blackflower shook her head. "They only grow here."

Suspicion leapt within Jayfeather. "So they're evil herbs," he spat.

The black-and-white she-cat sighed impatiently. "'Evil herbs!' You Clan cats are so brainwashed by StarClan. Foxdung on those mouse-hearted cowards!" she spat in sudden malice, her pale eyes glittering dangerously. Not for the first time in her presence, Jayfeather felt a cold chill of fear course down his spine.

The dark medicine cat went on with her rage: "They said they followed StarClan when they were alive, and now look at them! Padding side-by-side with their ancestors because they were too scared to brave the unknown!" She growled low in her throat and sank her claws into the ground. "Raggedstar, Yellowfang, Lizardstripe: all of them went to StarClan! Cowards, all of them!" she snarled.

Jayfeather backed away slowly. He could see the madness building in her beautiful blue eyes and he was terrified.

"And in _your _Clan, little kit, there was Sunstar, Bluestar, One-Eye, Patchpelt…they went to StarClan, too! The only brave cats that lived in your Clan either abandoned it or came here."

"Like who?" Jayfeather challenged.

Blackflower laughed. "No one alive today could tell you that information, Jayfeather._ I_ wasn't even alive when the best of your Clan walked the forest." She chuckled. "Take your herbs and go. Come back to me soon. I enjoy our discussions." She turned her back on him, and the last image Jayfeather had of the dark den was the blindingly white pelt of Blackflower and the black patches that swept across it like shadows.

Awaking on the cold shore of the Darkpool, Jayfeather scrambled to his paws, alarmed at the rustling weight that fell off of him. He dipped his head and sniffed at the pile of leaves at his paws in wonder—they were the same as the ones that the Raven gave him. Shaking his head in disbelief, he gathered them up and trotted off towards the camp, praying that he was making the right decision.

"There you go, Squirrelflight," Graystripe murmured as he helped the she-cat sit up and have the shineberry juice trickled onto her tongue.

"Wha…?" Squirrelflight's voice was weak. "Where…?"

"The medicine den," Jayfeather answered, happy that Blackflower's herbs were working. _Maybe I misjudged her, _he thought as he gently lifted a bit of the shardleaf pulp to her lips. _After all, Yellowfang is just as prickly, and I talk to her all the time. _

"There, there." Millie's voice was as soft as if she were talking to one of her own kits. "Eat all of it, Squirrelflight. Jayfeather said it would help."

"What's going on here?" a new voice demanded, and with a start, Jayfeather recognized Leafpool.

"She got poisoned," he mewed to her gruffly, not forgiving her for leaving him and making him feel helpless.

"By what?" Leafpool asked as she sniffed her sister. "She seems alright now…" Jayfeather could feel the panic building in his mentor.

"I already gave her herbs. You weren't here to tell me otherwise," he pointed out, flicking his tail angrily.

"What did you give her?" Her voice was suspicious.

"Nettle seed didn't work, so I…I had a dream and a cat showed me to these herbs."

Leafpool's pelt radiated shock. "Really?" she asked, stunned. "That's the first dream from StarClan that either of us has had since the half-moon!"

Jayfeather's pelt prickled and he bit his tongue. "Yeah," he agreed vaguely. "I think Squirrelflight's going to be okay."

"Me, too." Leafpool padded up to him and brushed her muzzle against his. "Graystripe, Millie, you two did a great job of helping him while I was…out."

Jayfeather fought back a snort. _Out, _he thought. _Out visiting Crowfeather, I'd bet. _But he detected no scent of the WindClan tom on her pelt.

"You did a superb job, Jayfeather." Leafpool's voice was warm. "I'm proud of you."

Jayfeather averted his face uneasily. _Would you be as proud if you knew where I got them from? _he thought, but no sound passed his lips.

* * *

**Woot woot! I really like Blackflower, I must say. I'm really glad I just popped her in there. I was going to have Clawface give Onestar the life Blackflower did, but I decided at the last minute to make up an OC. I squished her right into the timeline! Woohoo!**

**I'm off to watch Titanic...again. XD **

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	17. Chapter 15

**Aaww! I only updated once today. T-T **

**I was too busy reading Hunger on my Reader. I swear, that thing is the coolest piece of technology ever. It weighs like a third of the weight of a book and you can put like 200 books on it... -squees!- **

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Hollystar felt stunned as she looked down at the cat she once thought was her mother. Squirrelflight was curled up in a tight ball in her mossy nest in the medicine den. Jayfeather and Leafpool stood over her, worriedly watching her sleep.

"Will she recover fully?" Hollystar asked, trying to keep calm.

Leafpool shook her head. "It's too soon to tell," she responded, reaching out with a forepaw to stroke her sister's fur. "I thought I felt something was off…we were always close as kits. I hurried back home at once."

Jayfeather's lip curled, Hollystar noticed with surprise. Trying to play it off, he mewed, "Those herbs will cure her."

Leafpool twisted her head to the side to look at him curiously. "It's a miracle that you had that dream," she said conversationally, but her amber eyes were sharp with suspicion.

Jayfeather shrugged. "Yeah, I guess it was." He turned away and padded back to the herb storage cleft in the back of the den.

Hollystar watched him go, then turned back to look down at Squirrelflight. "She's going to be fine," she mewed firmly. "She just needs to sleep it off."

Leafpool's eyes were clouded with pain as she mewed, "Hopefully." She hesitated. "Hollystar—"

"Thank you for caring for her," Hollystar interrupted quickly. "Tell me if anything changes." She turned and padded out of the den before Leafpool could say anything more. She knew that the medicine cat would try to bring up another awkward mother-to-daughter scenario. Leafpool didn't seem to get that Hollystar didn't want anything to do with her.

Snapping up a vole from the fresh-kill pile, Hollystar made her way up the rockpile and into her den. She settled down into the soft moss and feather nest and tried to calm herself. _The warrior code is being broken all over the place, _she thought in despair. _How can the Clan thrive if its leader is surrounded by lies and deceit? _She ripped a mouthful from the vole and stifled a growl.

She finished off the vole in a few hungry bites and pushed the scraps into a corner. _Rosepaw should be by soon to clean up. _Hollystar frowned as she thought of Daisy and Spiderleg's daughter—the dark cream she-cat was strong and broad-shouldered, a great asset to the Clan. _Toadspring would have been, too._

At once, a cloud of sorrow descended upon her, darkening her vision and her thoughts, twisting them into spiraling fragments of rage and misery. _I should have protected him. He was my apprentice—I failed him as a mentor. _She laid her head on her paws. _I don't deserve to be leader, _she wailed internally. _How can I lead all these cats? _She closed her eyes and tried to fall into the abyss of sleep to avoid her tumultuous thoughts.

Soft grass tickled her nose, and she sat up in alarm. Moonlight dappled the ground through the oak leaves of four massive trees that dominated the large clearing. "Fourtrees," she muttered, looking up at the Great Rock silhouetted against the full moon. "So where's StarClan?"

"Here we are, Hollystar." Toadspring came padding up, his green eyes glowing with reflected light of the stars. "We are always watching and guiding your pawsteps. It's nice to see you again." He touched his nose to hers.

"Toadspring!" she cried happily. "Are you alright? Are you happy here?"

Her former apprentice closed his eyes happily and let out a purr. "Of course I am. One day, you too will learn the beauty of this unchanging place." He flicked his tail. "Come with me—I have something to show you." He set off at a steady trot, heading up the steep edge of the clearing and into the woods.

Hollystar fell in place beside him, suddenly unsure of what to say. His black-and-white pelt was sparkling with frost like a cat made up of stars himself. "I've missed you," she mewed at last.

He looked up at her. "I've missed you, too, Hollystar." He narrowed his eyes playfully. "You went and became leader without me," he accused. "I would have been the leader's apprentice!"

Despite his words, Hollystar felt the familiar icy blow to her belly. "Toadspring, I'm so sorry—"

"Don't worry about it," he cut off smoothly. "There's no anger here. All is forgiven."

They walked in silence for a while, the only sound being their soft pawsteps through the fallen leaves at their paws. Upon closer inspection, Hollystar noticed that all the leaves on the ground were still green.

Noticing this, Toadspring head-butted her shoulder affectionately. "There aren't any dead leaves in StarClan," he mewed. "There isn't any death here at all. Everything here is alive in its own way."

"You've gotten wise," she pointed out.

He shrugged. "It's who you hang out with," he mewed nonchalantly.

"And who are you hanging out with?" she questioned, looking at his face.

Toadspring laughed. "Plenty of ThunderClan warriors from the past. I'll have to introduce you some time. Before you join us yourself, that is." He stopped suddenly. "We're here!"

Hollystar looked at the ravine before her—the bare ground was dotted with boulders twice the size of a cat, leading up to a thick, impenetrable-looking barrier of sharp gorse. "What's—" she started, but Toadspring was already moving ahead of her.

"Come on!" he called cheerfully, waving his tail before disappearing into a small gap in the thorns.

Hollystar hesitated before picking her way between the boulders. She paused again, drawing in scent at the wall of gorse, and was surprised to detect half-remembered scents from her memory. "Toadspring?" she called, suddenly unsure.

No answer came.

"Toadspring?" she called louder, not wanting to go in this strange place by herself. _What do I do? _she fretted. "Toadspring?" she hissed. "This isn't funny anymore!" She waited for a few more heartbeats. "Toadspring!"

Gritting her teeth and feeling irritated, she pushed her way through the grasping stems , wrenching her pelt free and staggering into a clearing almost twice the size of the ThunderClan camp. She gasped in awe at the clearing in front of her, taking in the massive rock that dominated one corner, the tangled stems that created a secure den, the long grass that secluded one section of the clearing from the rest…

"It's a camp," she whispered.

"'Bout time you got in here." Toadspring's irritated voice came from the top of the huge rock. "I was wondering if you would come in or just stand around out there." He yawned wide, curling his tongue.

Hollystar glared up at him. "You could have answered," she mewed testily. "I was standing out there like a rabbit caught in the moonlight."

Toadspring laughed and leapt down to press his muzzle against her shoulder. "You won't be angry for much longer," he said excitedly. "Look at this place!"

Hollystar glanced around, wondering why this place had such a familiar scent. "Where are we?"

Toadspring purred, then ran into the middle of the wide space and sat down, sudden seriousness overtaking him. "This, Hollystar, is the old ThunderClan camp."

Hollystar could only gape. "W-what?" she choked out. "But it was destroyed!"

Toadspring nodded happily. "It was, but not before StarClan used our powers to recreate it here in the stars." Hollystar was surprised by his inclusion of himself when he spoke about StarClan. "ThunderClan cats of the past still walk here."

Hollystar looked around the clearing—no, she corrected herself: camp. "I don't see them," she mewed uncertainly.

Toadspring laughed. "Of course not," he mewed loftily. "They'll let themselves be known if they want you to see them." He tilted his head slightly. "I'm sure a few would if you asked politely."

"Er…what?"

Toadspring shook his head in teasing exasperation. "Do you want me to call them?"

"Sure." Hollystar's whole body was trembling as she imagined the invisible pelts of cats brushing her on all sides, watching her with eyes that reflected the stars. "I mean…of course."

The black-and-white StarClan warrior purred then mewed, "Larchkit, Hollykit, Shrewpaw, why don't you come greet our guest?"

At once, a young apprentice-aged tabby and two kits appeared at Toadspring's side as if they'd been there the whole time. _Well ,they have, _Hollystar thought.

"My kin," Toadspring announced happily. "My father's siblings."

The tabby looked at Hollystar curiously. "I'm Shrewpaw," he greeted. "I was an apprentice when you mother and her sister were."

Unsure if he was talking about Squirrelflight or Leafpool, she mewed, "Oh. Were you friends?"

Shrewpaw nodded. "We were best friends," he mewed softly. "That was before StarClan called her away to follow after a cat of prophecy. I was killed by a Twoleg monster soon after she returned, and never got to—" He cut off abruptly, breaking eye contact.

The two kits bounded up to Hollystar, pressing into her legs and looking up at her curiously with big, green eyes. "Who're you?" one of them, a pale gray she-kit, asked.

"My name is Hollystar."

The kit gasped. "_My_ name is Hollykit!" she squealed excitedly. She turned to her companion. "Isn't this exciting, Larchkit?"

The other kit, a brown tabby, looked at her sister happily. "You might have been Hollystar, too!"

Hollystar watched the exchange with the now-familiar pang of sorrow. _They were so young, _Hollystar sighed. _They had so much more to give to their Clan._

"You know our littermate," Hollykit told her. "Birchfall."

"He has kits of his own now," Shrewpaw pointed out to them. He looked up at Hollystar with a glimmer of fear in his amber eyes.

Before Hollystar could question it, Larchkit prodded her with a little paw. "Hey, since you're a Clan leader, couldn't you…er…" She dropped her gaze to her paws.

"Go on, Larchkit," Toadspring encouraged. "Hollystar won't mind."

Larchkit raised her green eyes back to Hollystar. "Couldn't you give us warrior names?" she finished quickly.

Hollystar looked over the top of her head towards Toadspring, but the black-and-white apprentice didn't meet her eyes. "Isn't that for StarClan's leader to decide?" Hollystar hedged.

"They wouldn't be _real _warrior names," Hollykit quickly put in. "We just want them to play." She puffed out her little chest. "We wish to be warriors of ThunderClan!"

Hollystar purred. "Alright then. Come here and I'll give you some names."

The two kits gasped and looked at each other with disbelief. They turned to look back at Shrewpaw, squealing with excitement, but not actually getting any words out. Their brother just purred and motioned them forward.

Hollystar watched the two little kits softly, then turned to look at StarClan. She swore that she saw the outline of a cat in the sky, but when she blinked, it vanished. _Firestar? _she called internally, but the cold stars gave no answer. Clearing her throat importantly, Hollystar mewed, "Do you, Larchkit, wish to be a warrior of ThunderClan?"

Larchkit's tabby pelt bristled with excitement. "I do!" she promised.

"Then in front of these witnesses of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Larchkit, from this moment forth, you will be known as Larchshine!"

"Larchshine! Larchshine!" Toadspring and Shrewpaw cheered.

Hollykit padded forward, her green eyes glittering with anticipation.

Hollystar purred. "Do you, Hollykit, wish to be a warrior of ThunderClan?"

"I do!" Hollykit promised.

"In front of these witnesses of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Hollykit, from this moment forth, you will be known as Hollyflower."

"Hollyflower! Hollyflower!"

The two newly-named "warriors" erupted into gleeful squeals and proceeded to pounce on their older brother. Shrewpaw, caught off-guard, let out a startled meow as he was swarmed by the kits.

Toadspring watched them with glittering eyes, then turned back to Hollystar. "I'm glad I brought you here," he mewed affectionately. "But it's time for you to return, Hollystar."

Hollykit and Larchkit—Hollyflower and Larchshine—let out mews of happiness. "Hollystar! Hollystar!" they cried, Shrewpaw joining in. "Hollystar! Hollystar!"

"Hollystar!" A paw shook her shoulder roughly. "Hollystar, wake up already."

Hollystar blinked her eyes open to see Dustpelt's disgruntled face over hers. "What, what?" she asked sleepily. "I only just set my head down…"

"Jayfeather's looking for you," he grumbled. "He says it has to do with Whitewing's kits."

Hollystar just looked at him blankly. All she could see was how similar he looked to his dead daughter, Larchkit. She wished that she could tell his that she'd seen his three lost kits, but didn't want to hurt the tabby warrior. "Okay, tell him I'm coming, please."

Dustpelt left without another word, and Hollystar heaved herself to her paws, stretching out her stiff limbs. _I must have been asleep a long time, _she thought with a yawn. She shook out her pelt, then trotted out of her den and padded down the rockpile to the front of the nursery where Jayfeather was waiting with a twitching tail.

"I want you to go talk to Whitewing about her kits," he mewed without delay.

"Why?" she demanded. "Is something wrong with them?"

Jayfeather hesitated and turned his face away. "Just do it, please."

Mystified, Hollystar shrugged and padded into the warm darkness of the nursery. She was greeted by friendly mews from Daisy and Birchfall, who was lying close to the dozing Whitewing. The two kits were getting much bigger, their pelts fluffed out as they slept peacefully. "I need to speak with her," Hollystar mewed to the light brown tabby.

Birchfall looked incredulous. "But the kits have just settled down!" he protested.

"It'll only take a moment," Hollystar mewed soothingly.

Birchfall looked uncertain, but got to his paws and gently nudged the white queen awake. "Wake up, dear one," he murmured gently. "Hollystar needs to speak to you."

Whitewing blinked open her green eyes sleepily. "Okay, okay," she mewed with a yawn. "I'm up, I'm up." She focused her bleary eyes on Hollystar. "What's going on?"

"Jayfeather wanted me to see your kits," she explained. "I'm not sure why."

Whitewing purred. "Probably to see how beautiful they are," she said cheerfully. She nudged them awake with a hind paw. "Wake up, kits. Our leader wants to greet you."

The little she-kit, Oakkit, opened her eyes first. She let out a squeak of surprise to see Hollystar so close, and she narrowed her pale green eyes to look at her speculatively.

"Do they speak yet?" Hollystar asked.

Birchfall shook his head. "Not yet, but soon!"

Whitewing laughed softly as she nudged her other kit. "Rainkit, wake up, sleepypaws." She looked up at Hollystar apologetically. "He's a deep sleeper," she explained. She gently groomed his gray-flecked pelt, sparking a faint, untouchable memory in the back of Hollystar's mind.

Finally, the kit let out a squeal of protest and snuggled deeper into Whitewing's belly.

His mother pulled him away with a snowy-white paw and turned him to face Hollystar, meowing, "Come and meet Hollystar."

The kit fixed his gaze on Hollystar for the first time, and Hollystar felt a cold claw of disbelief sear through her, turning her mind blank. "Birchfall, Daisy," she rasped. "I need to speak to Whitewing alone."

The two cats looked confused. "Now, look here, Hollystar—" Birchfall started, but Hollystar quickly swept over his voice.

"I must have a word with your mate, Birchfall," she said in a high-pitched voice. "Leave _now_."

Daisy padded up and nudged him, pulling him away and out of the nursery, leaving only Hollystar, Whitewing, and the two kits.

For a moment, there was complete silence in the den. Whitewing shuffled uncomfortably. "Hollystar, what's the matter?" she asked in a shaky voice.

Hollystar turned away from her, unable to look at her or her kits. "Do you love Birchfall?" she asked in a distant voice.

"Of course!" Whitewing sounded surprised. "He's the father of my kits, after all."

Hollystar turned back to her with a snarl. "Do you think I'm stupid?" she demanded in a harsh voice.

The two kits began to cry in high voices, confused with all the loud noise.

"Hollystar, control yourself!" Whitewing gasped. "You're scaring my kits!"

"I know they're _your _kits," Hollystar went on, "but they are _not _Birchfall's. Isn't that right?" Everything was so clear. This was why Jayfeather had demanded her to see these kits.

Whitewing flattened her ears. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said gruffly, "but I'd like you to leave."

Hollystar took a step closer to her and looked down at the two kits, who were now silent with fear, their eyes wide. Hollystar's gaze swept across Oakkit's without a backward glance and her eyes locked with Rainkit. The little tom's wide eyes were a deep, bottomless blue—a color she had only seen on one other cat in her whole life…the cat she thought she had gotten rid of moons ago. "How can this be?" Hollystar whispered to herself. "How is this possible?!" She turned away. "How could you have _his _kits, Whitewing?"

"What—"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about!" Hollystar snarled. "These aren't Birchfall's kits, are they? They're _Ashfur's_."

Whitewing gasped. "How did you know?" she whispered through unmoving lips. "Not even my own mate noticed, but you did right away. How?"

Hollystar bared her teeth. "It doesn't matter how. All that matters is why you lied and said these were Birchfall's."

Whitewing sighed. "I really like Birchfall," she started, "but my heart always belonged to Ashfur. He was wise and brave and kind. He understood me."

"He was a liar," Hollystar said rashly. "He didn't care for you—he loved Squirrelflight. You were second-best."

Whitewing got to her paws, carefully setting her kits aside. "Don't speak about what you don't know, Hollystar," she said in a soft snarl. "I am seasons older than you, no matter what position you hold. I was there when your mother was _born._

"Ashfur needed someone to support him after Squirrelflight crushed him. I was there—I was kind and gentle to him. After a while, he grew to love me as I loved him. Birchfall is a good cat," she mewed dismissively, "but Ashfur was a true warrior. We fought many battles together and went on many hunting patrols.

"I found out I was expecting kits after…after he was found dead." Her voice was shaky. "Birchfall believed them to be his, and I didn't argue with him. My kits need a father—a father that's not in StarClan."

_That piece of foxdung is _not _in StarClan! _She wanted to scream it at this foolish she-cat, but she held her tongue, unwilling to give herself away. "So you lied to the Clan," she said simply.

"I didn't lie," Whitewing said fiercely. "I simply did not tell them certain information. A queen doesn't need to reveal the father of her litter if she chooses not to. So I didn't. "

"That's deceitful!" Hollystar hissed. "There should be no secrets in the Clan."

All of Whitewing's anger disappeared. "Please, Hollystar," she begged. "Please don't tell this to the Clan. Birchfall couldn't take it—he'd be _crushed!" _

Hollystar hesitated. If she told then Clan, then there would be one less lie polluting the Clan. _But would I want the same decision made without my consent if it was me? _She couldn't answer that question. "I won't tell it for now."

Whitewing dipped her head. "Thank you, Hollystar!"

Hollystar glared at Rainkit and Oakkit, curling her lip into a snarl. Whitewing looked at her sadly before moving in between her kits and her leader. "Don't," she whispered.

Hollystar turned away without another word, padding away from the nursery and the prying eyes of the Clan and into the forest. The cooling breeze of nightfall blew across her face and helped to carry away the fear and hatred she had felt when she looked into the eyes of Ashfur's son.

* * *

**Dun dun DUN! Oh noes! What's there to do now, what with Rainkit and Oakkit being Ashfur's? Hehehehe, I'd love to tell you, but then I'd ruin the last 9 chapters of this fic! I'm aiming for 100K words this time, just so when I search for completed fics that are 100K and over, I can see mine on that little list. Wouldn't that be the most kickin' thing ever? **

**I love tormenting you guys. It gives me warm fuzzies. ^^**

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	18. Chapter 16

**I am back from my boating adventure and I'm ready to post this chapter! My bad, guys. It's been a while since I updated.**

* * *

"Shrewpaw? Shrewpaw…where is that cat?" Squirrelflight's eyes were out of focus. "He said he'd get me some fresh-kill, but he hasn't come back yet. He'd better hurry—Firestar'll be angry."

Lionblaze watched his mother rambling with his pelt on edge. "Squirrelflight, it's me, Lionblaze," he tried to reassure her. "It's your son."

"I told you she'd hallucinate," Jayfeather snapped. "It's the effects of…the poison."

"Who's Shrewpaw?" Lionblaze questioned.

Jayfeather shrugged. "Who knows? Some cat from her memory, I suppose. Try and get her to eat some of that mouse meat, will you?"

"What poisoned her after all?"

"Leafpool isn't sure," Jayfeather replied, choosing his words carefully. "She thinks she might have gotten stung by something, but there aren't any wounds on her body at all."

Lionblaze, thinking this over, dutifully snipped some meat from the prey at his paws and approached Squirrelflight again. "Here, Squirrelflight. Here's some prey."

"Thank StarClan!" she exclaimed. "I've been starving!" She ripped into the piece of meat with gusto. She looked back up at him with bleary eyes. "More?"

Lionblaze shot a glance at Jayfeather—useless, he realized too late. "Do I give her another piece?"

Jayfeather shook his head. "She's been yowling for meat for the past two days," he grumbled. "She's fine—she isn't starving."

"Sootfur's patrol brought in a blackbird yesterday," Squirrelflight informed Lionblaze with a knowing glance. "One blackbird for Frostfur, the queens! Can you believe that, Firestar?"

"Firestar!" he gasped. "She thinks I'm Firestar?"

Jayfeather rolled his pale eyes. "She thinks _I'm_ Smallear," he pointed out. "Some old cat from the forest. She keeps asking why I'm in here and where Cinderpelt is." He shook his head.

"Is this a permanent thing?" Lionblaze asked worriedly, listening to her now say how she wanted to go to Snakerocks to try and catch an adder. "Is she going to ramble like this for much longer?"

"Not for much longer. I think these symptoms only last for three days or so. I'm not really sure on the whole situation," he admitted.

"You gave her herbs you don't know anything about?" Lionblaze's voice was incredulous. "That's mousebrained!"

"I had a dream about it," Jayfeather mewed loftily. "Now try and get her to drink some more. Here." He pressed a moss bundle towards Lionblaze. "Go soak this in the pool."

Lionblaze resisted the urge to rake his claws down Jayfeather's ear. He dropped the moss in the pool with a splash that sent a wave of cool water towards Jayfeather's shoulder.

The medicine cat apprentice let out a shocked hiss. "Watch it!" he snarled, shaking his pelt dry and stepping away. "If you drench these herbs…" He let the threat hang in the air.

Lionblaze bristled. "I didn't mean to," he lied quickly. "It was an accident."

Jayfeather let out an exasperated snort. "Just get out of here. I have enough to worry about with _her_." He tilted his ears towards Squirrelflight.

"Lionblaze?" Cinderheart stepped into the den, looking at Squirrelflight worriedly.

"Thank StarClan you're here, Cinderpelt." Squirrelflight tried to get to her paws, but slid sideways back onto her nest. "My belly is _yowling!" _

Cinderheart padded up to the ginger she-cat and nuzzled her ears gently. "It's Cinder_heart, _Squirrelflight," she mewed softly. She looked up at Jayfeather. "Can't you get her something to eat?"

"She's eaten as much as three warriors today," he spat in response. "She doesn't need anymore." He turned to his herbs piles, carefully stacking dried flower heads. "You can go now—I'll take care of her," he mewed in a gentler voice.

"Come on," Lionblaze told Cinderheart. "He's being a grouch."

Jayfeather flattened his ears but didn't rise to the barb. He flicked his tail down Squirrelflight's flank as the she-cat curled back up and tucked her nose beneath her tail.

Stepping outside into the bright sunshine of the camp, Lionblaze allowed himself to relax. He'd been so worried about Cinderheart, and the kits, and WindClan…He just needed to take a deep breath and enjoy the warmth of the day.

"Look." Cinderheart nudged his shoulder and nodded towards the nursery. "Whitewing's kits are coming outside for the first time."

Lionblaze followed her gaze and saw Rosepaw delicately batting at Oakkit while Rainkit crouched low, his tail flicking from side-to-side as he prepared to pounce on a leaf. The two cats walked up to the little kits and watched them with tender gazes.

"So cute," Cinderheart purred.

"Aren't they?" Rosepaw agreed happily. "They're my kin!" She reached out and prodded Oakkit; the little mottled tabby narrowed her green eyes and whacked at Rosepaw with a snowy-white paw.

"Play!" she squeaked happily.

Rainkit looked up at her voice and shuffled over to Lionblaze, staring with wide eyes at the tip of his golden tail. With an enormous leap, the little gray-speckled kit leapt on Lionblaze's tail, letting out a squeal of happiness.

Lionblaze gently pulled his tail out of Rainkit's sharp grip. "What a strong little warrior," he muttered self-consciously, feeling rather stupid for talking to a kit in this silly voice. But he wanted to impress his mate, so he crouched down and flicked his tail back and forth in front of Rainkit's watchful gaze.

The kit followed it alertly, his dark blue eyes narrowed as he focused. Without warning, he lashed out with a forepaw and snagged a pawful of golden fur. He squeaked and slid sideways, jittering across the space in front the nursery. "Play!" he mewled. "Play!"

Cinderheart purred reached out to give him an affectionate lick across the forehead. He gave a startled mew and ducked away from her tongue.

Whitewing, who was lounging in a patch of sun nearby, called out, "Now, now, Rainkit. You be good and let Cinderheart wash you."

The kit, as if he could understand, twisted his head away with a frown on his little face. Lionblaze laughed and shook his head. "You're going to have trouble with this one," he chuckled.

Whitewing looked up with a shocked expression, masking it quickly, but not before Lionblaze saw it and wondered why she looked so astonished. "Maybe," she hedged. "Oakkit is definitely more behaved, though." She nodded towards her daughter.

"Where's Birchfall?" Rosepaw asked.

Whitewing purred. "He's out with Briarpaw training. That little she-cat is always so full of energy, Birchfall tells me."

"She'll have her warrior name soon," Lionblaze murmured. "So will you, Rosepaw."

Rosepaw looked down at her paws modestly. "I haven't been an apprentice for that long," she said shyly.

"Long, long," Oakkit squeaked. "Long, long."

Rosepaw looked up at Whitewing excitedly. "Did you hear her? She spoke!"

Whitewing nodded. "They've been doing that a lot in the past day or so. They don't know what they mean yet, but it's a start."

Rainkit, not paying attention, looked up at his mother. "Play," he said firmly and seriously.

Cinderheart laughed. "Well, they sure seem to know what that word means."

Whitewing looked at him affectionately. "They're so smart," she mewed proudly. "They'll be great warriors."

"I wonder who Hollystar will make their mentors?" Lionblaze wondered.

Whitewing dropped her gaze quickly. "I'm not sure," she muttered. "I don't have any say in it. I'm just glad that Icepelt is already a warrior, otherwise I would be worrying even more about things." She laughed and flicked Rainkit on the nose with the tip of her tail.

Birchfall padded in by himself and crouched low in front of Oakkit, who was squealing happily. He let the little kit clamber all over his back while he purred, "Hi, Whitewing!"

"Where's Briarpaw?" Lionblaze asked curiously.

Birchfall looked up from batting Oakkit away from his tail. "I sent her off hunting by herself. She's gotten good enough so that I don't have to worry about her."

Cinderheart plucked Oakkit off of Birchfall's tail and gave her a little shake, getting a happy mew from the she-kit in return.

Lionblaze watched Cinderheart play with the two little kits, his gaze soft. His mate was so good with them, he realized. She was going to make a wonderful mother to their own kits. He pressed against her side and let out a soft purr.

"Lionblaze, I need to talk to you." Hollystar's voice was strained as she padded up.

Whitewing shot her a startled look, her green eyes flicking back and forth between the two cats.

Hollystar didn't even look at her. "Now, please."

"Alright," Lionblaze said agreeably. He gave Cinderheart a lick across the ears, then followed his leader into the woods.

As they walked, all Lionblaze could think of was the last time he followed her, and how she had revealed that she was his mentor's killer. Lionblaze and Ashfur had never gotten along, and Lionblaze always thought that it was because he was Squirrelflight's son. The speckled tom's hatred for the ginger she-cat was well-known in the Clan—as was his hatred for her mate.

Hollystar whirled quickly to turn and face him. "I need you to track something," she mewed in a low voice. "Some_one _actually."

Lionblaze was stunned. "M-me?" he stammered.

"Yes. You."

"Shouldn't you get Cloudtail?" Lionblaze hedged. "He's the best tracker in the Clan."

Hollystar sat down and flicked her tail for him to join her. "I want you to do it, because I want to keep this secret."

"Why is that?"

"I think that Briarpaw is going into ShadowClan territory to see Flamepaw."

Lionblaze frowned. "Do they like each other or something?"

Hollystar rolled her eyes. "Don't be a mousebrain," she spat. "Rowanclaw came here to tell me that he's seen Flamepaw sneaking out of camp to collect herbs, but when he comes back, he doesn't have any herbs."

"So that's what you two were talking about!" Lionblaze exclaimed.

"Keep it down," she hissed, casting her eyes about the forest. "It was more than that, but obviously Rowanclaw is worried about his son." She looked at him with a piercing gaze. "I want you to follow her. I had Birchfall send her hunting to test her."

"Really?" Lionblaze's voice was blank with shock.

She nodded. "I didn't tell him that, of course," she added. "He didn't even question me."

"Well, do you want me to go now?" Lionblaze asked, getting to his paws.

"Yes. Birchfall sent her towards the ShadowClan border's side. It's been a while, so it should be safe to follow her."

"What does it matter?" Lionblaze challenged. "Maybe they're just friends."

Hollystar just looked at him. "I know this is about you and Heathertail, too," she said softly, a hint of a snarl in her voice. "That's why I want it to be _you _that catches Briarpaw. You can be the one to tell her why meeting with a cat from another Clan is against the warrior code. A medicine cat, too!" She wrinkled her nose.

Lionblaze could only stare at her. "Are you…serious?" he said at last. "Are you truly serious?"

Hollystar rolled her eyes. "Just go. Report back before sundown." She looked up at the sky. "You have plenty of time. Hurry!" She turned around and bounded back to camp without another word.

Lionblaze was furious—so angry that his vision went red like it did when he was in battle. _She still doesn't trust me! She thinks I'll go crawling back to that WindClan rat! _He growled low in his throat. _She is mistaken. I have Cinderheart now! We're going to start a family and live here in ThunderClan, totally following the warrior code. _But even as he thought the words, he knew he sounded defensive. He lashed his claws at a small sapling, and felt satisfied when the tree tilted and fell slowly to the ground.

He padded towards the ShadowClan border, feeling resentment and rage quicken his movements until he was flying through the forest, hoping to run into an enemy warrior just to take out some of his anger on another living thing.

A mouse scurried onto his path and he pounced at it without a second thought, biting cleanly through the spine and ending its life. He crouched over the prey and devoured it in quick gulps, knowing that since he was out on Hollystar's commands that she would be annoyed at him for eating. He cleaned the bones of meat and deposited the scraps right in the middle of the trail where he knew she would find them.

He stood and shook his pelt out, then padded again towards the border. A full belly made his mind clearer, but he tried to keep his focus on the task ahead. An image of Hollystar's scornful face filled his mind, and he let out a low hiss of fury.

"Who's there?" a voice cried.

Lionblaze immediately whipped into a clump of gorse and bramble, keeping his eyes on the path. Briarpaw's dark brown pelt came into view, her amber eyes moving suspiciously through the undergrowth. Lionblaze was surprised to see her so focused—Birchfall was obviously mentoring her well.

She lifted her nose to scent the air and then, satisfied, she trotted towards a large dead tree and sat down to wait.

_I must be right at their meeting place! _Lionblaze's body was tense with excitement. _Flamepaw is going to come right here! _

Briarpaw was grooming her pelt with quick strokes of her tongue and looking around nervously. A crackling sound made her sit up suddenly, frozen like a cat made of ice. Only once a beetle crawled into view a few heartbeats later did she relax.

"Briarpaw!" Flamepaw pushed his way through the brambles on the other side of the dead tree. "You look scared out of your pelt there!"

Briarpaw let out a hiss, but Lionblaze could see her eyes shining. "I wasn't scared! ThunderClan cats _can't _be scared. We're tough like that." She puffed out her chest.

Flamepaw laughed and touched his nose to hers.

At this, Lionblaze wrenched himself free of the brambles and padded towards the two young cats. Only hearing the noise, Flamepaw quickly jumped in front of Briarpaw and bared his teeth protectively. He relaxed at once with a look of horror on his face as he recognized Lionblaze.

"Hey, Lionblaze," Briarpaw mewed smoothly as she stepped out from behind Flamepaw. "I just ran into this ShadowClan cat when I was hunting over here." She tilted her ears to the body of a vole half-buried by the edge of the little clearing. "I was just about to send him off."

"I was just…looking for herbs," Flamepaw stammered. "I didn't mean to cross the border."

"Cut the mousedung, Briarpaw," Lionblaze snapped. "I saw you two."

"Saw us what?" Briarpaw asked innocently. "I only just got here…this ShadowClan apprentice, he—"

"I saw you," Lionblaze repeated. "What are you thinking! He's from another Clan! It's against the warrior code."

Flamepaw narrowed his eyes in an uncharacteristic look of anger. "We're just playing, Lionblaze. The warrior code says we can have friends in other Clans."

Briarpaw shot him an angry look as he told the truth. "We're not doing anything wrong," she insisted.

Lionblaze stepped forward threateningly, and Flamepaw responded by crouching lower and blocking the way to Briarpaw, his hackles raised.

"This is wrong, Briarpaw," Lionblaze reiterated. "I've come to take you home. Hollystar already knows."

"I won't go!" the dark brown she-cat cried. "I'll go to ShadowClan! They'll take me in!"

"Yes," Lionblaze agreed sarcastically. "The daughter of a kittypet and one of ThunderClan's greatest warriors. They'll welcome you with a warm nest and fresh-kill." He spat angrily.

"Don't talk to her like that," Flamepaw hissed. "My Clan would think she's an asset."

"And then what, Flamepaw? You'll quit being medicine cat to be with her?"

Flamepaw didn't meet Lionblaze's gaze.

"That's what I thought. Briarpaw, there are plenty of toms in ThunderClan for you."

"None will be like Flamepaw!" she snarled. "He understands me! He knows the real me!"

Lionblaze looked at the little apprentices with pity in his eyes. "It's time to come home, Briarpaw. Say goodbye to Flamepaw."

She locked gazes with Lionblaze, gritting her teeth and letting out a fierce snarl. Then the anger went out of her amber eyes and she slumped.

"Briarpaw?" Flamepaw was worried now.

"I'm sorry, Flamepaw." Briarpaw's voice was low and full of pain. "I belong in ThunderClan." She turned and touched her nose to his before walking to stand at Lionblaze's side.

Flamepaw's eyes were filled with disbelief. He took a pawstep forward—towards her—but Briarpaw turned and ran back towards the ThunderClan camp. "Briarpaw!" he called after her, but she did not respond.

"This is for the best, Flamepaw," Lionblaze said gently. "You wouldn't have—"

"Shut up!" the medicine cat snapped. "Just shut up!" He turned around and disappeared into his own territory, his anguished cries echoing among the bare trunks.

Lionblaze watched him go, a sigh rising from his chest. _This is how it has to be, _he told himself as he went to catch up with Briarpaw. _He'll be grateful for it one day. _But it was hard to think the words that Lionblaze didn't even believe himself.

* * *

**Doot doot doot~~ Ahh, quashed love. ^^ Angst angst angst!**

**Oh, and I have a newfound love for an anime/manga called Fruits Basket. If you are familiar with it, then join with me in saying I LOVE KYO!!! He's so angsty and grumpy and awesome! Like a Jayfeather who's been repeatedly poked with a sharp stick.**

**XDDDDD**

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	19. Chapter 17

**This chapter is rather short--a fact which displeases me. And, it's not written in my usual style, because I just reread White Fang (my favorite book ever). White Fang was written during the American Gold Rush, which means the writing style was different. I'm sorry if the style really is different, but I think it turned out alright. **

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Jayfeather flicked rain irritably off of his ears as he sheltered beneath a bramble. "I really hate greenleaf showers," he grumbled as he began to lick his pelt dry.

Many sunrises had passed since Squirrelflight's miraculous recovery from Blackflower's herbs. _Maybe I misjudged her, _Jayfeather thought while his tongue worked. _After all, she had no reason to help me, let alone ThunderClan! She hates us, and she's always hated us. _Jayfeather narrowed his eyes as his mind wandered. _Maybe she wants forgiveness for all her past wrongs. _

Jayfeather chuckled out loud. "Since when did I start to care?" he asked himself. He got to his paws and gave one last reluctant sigh as he left his dry shelter and back out into the rain. Within heartbeats his pelt was drenched again. He let an irritated hiss slide between his clenched teeth as a trickle of water dripped between his eyes.

He walked swiftly, effortlessly remembering his exact surroundings despite the harsh weather. His paws had been on this path everyday for the past half-moon—ever since that fateful night when he had met Blackflower.

The black-and-white she-cat had been on his mind constantly. He couldn't get rid of the image of her beautiful pelt and pale blue eyes—eyes like the sky with all the frost and harshness of leaf-bare. She was conniving, he knew, but something kept drawing him back to her…kept him waiting for a bit of free time to visit the Darkpool and learn her secrets…

He shook himself rapidly, attempting to cast the thoughts from his head. He had reached his destination: a hole in the soaked soil at the base of a rowan tree. Jayfeather bent his head to sniff at the opening but no scent reached his nostrils but his own. Pleased, he dove into the burrow and padded along a small, down-sloping tunnel—so small that his whiskers easily brushed down the earthy sides. The tunnel widened quickly into a small circular den several tail-lengths wide.

Jayfeather knew every pawstep of this secret place; he had paced it out several times. He shook himself again, spraying a thin mist of rainwater from his pelt, then padded to one side of the den, a forepaw outstretched to brush along the small, neat piles of herbs he had stored there.

"Shineberries and shardleaves," he murmured to himself. He had decided as soon as Blackflower gave them to him that Leafpool didn't need to know about them—especially their origins. If she found out that he was meeting with a cat of Tigerstar's—_Brokenstar's_, he corrected himself—forest, who knew how she could react? Doubtless, she would be angry and worried, nagging him about the herbs.

_Who cares as long as they work? _Jayfeather thought bitterly. He hissed aloud as he caught the scent of Blackflower off of the herbs. His mouth burned for the taste of the thin moss that grew on the edge of the Darkpool—all he wanted was a taste of that power and the chance to once again learn from the ancient medicine cat.

He spread the dry berries beneath his paw, counting them instinctively to make sure that none were damaged or disturbed. "I wonder what Hollystar would say to this?" he asked himself softly. "After all, this was probably part of the tunnels once." He sighed, settling down on his belly as he fought against himself to return to that filthy pool. His belly gave a low grumble as if it were urging him to go and taste the weird moss again.

"No!" he spat suddenly, getting to his paws. It was the half-moon, he reasoned with himself, it was a time for StarClan—not for the cats of that forest with no stars. "I won't," he told himself, but everything in him was begging for it—his mind craved the knowledge that Blackflower could teach him, and his body wanted the powerful feeling that the moss and the dark water gave him.

He flicked his ears towards the entrance of the tunnel. Soft voices came down it, echoing slightly past the rain. "Hollystar…patrol over…WindClan?"

"Spiderleg," Jayfeather whispered, hardly daring to breathe, else he alert the patrol. _Why are they so close to the back of the territory? _he wondered. He gasped suddenly as he realized why: the WindClan scent from the first nightmarish trip to the Darkpool. _They must not have believed me when I told them I didn't know about WindClan, _he thought furiously. _Hollystar's been sending patrols there anyway! What if they discover the Darkpool? What if they get rid of all the moss? _

Panic fluttered in his chest as he imagined that prospect. Never to meet with Blackflower again? Never to heal his Clanmates with those special herbs? His claws tightened in the loose soil. "No," he whispered. "I won't allow that." He clawed his way back up the tunnel and took off running.

_For their own good, of course, _he reassured himself. _The Clan needs these herbs. Blackflower's helped me more than Leafpool ever has, after all. _His breath came in sharp pants as he raced across the territory towards the Darkpool, praying that no cat would see him.

He skidded to a stop as the scent of the water filled the air. He lifted his nose in surprise at the smell: it wasn't as foul as he remembered it to be. Shrugging it off, he extended his claws and began to rake them through the smooth moss. He grunted, irritated, as the moss clung to the fur of his paws instead of gathering into a bundle like normal moss.

_Normal moss, _he thought, then whipped around and clambered to the top of the slope, opening his mouth to detect the scent of moss. He ripped a mouthful away from the roots of a tree and bounded back down to the water's edge. He swept the moss around, scraping it over the stony ground and smearing it with the weird other moss. When the moss ball was sopping with the bizarrely filmy moss, he stepped back, pleased.

Feeling slightly foolish, he gripped the moss firmly between his teeth and began the slow passage back to the secret den. _If anyone asks, this is just a new type of herb, _he told himself, his hackles raised and bristling like he was facing down a badger. The scent of the thin moss filled his nostrils and clouded his mind, as if it were smoke instead of a plant. He shook his head to clear it.

He set the moss gently down next to the shineberries and the shardleaves, carefully covering it with another dry layer of moss. He patted it down, then lifted his forepaw, extending the claws so he could breathe in the scent of the moss. _I probably have enough time, _he thought distantly, closing his eyes. _Leafpool won't be expecting me for a while…it's definitely not moonhigh yet. _Throwing caution to the wind, he delicately licked the moss of his claws, feeling the slimy texture coat his tongue and fill him with energy as he sank to his belly on the floor of the den.

He opened his eyes, happy to see Blackflower's now-familiar pelt. He quickly disguised his enthusiasm as she turned to face him, her blue eyes almost gentle as she saw him. "Hello, Jayfeather," she greeted him smoothly. "I have been watching your progress." She tilted her head slightly. "You learn quickly."

Jayfeather lifted his head. "Thanks to your herbs, Squirrelflight is recovering."

Blackflower smirked. "I thought so," she said in her light voice. "After all, I have more experience than your mentor." She laughed softly. "She was trained by my apprentice's apprentice, so that automatically makes her less qualified. Yellowfang, doubtless, never taught her apprentice all that I taught to her."

Jayfeather didn't know what to say to that. He felt suddenly out of place with this she-cat, and he half-expected Leafpool to come charging in and demand him to return to the place of stars. "Well, that you for the herbs."

Blackflower padded up to him, so close that he could see the faint glints of dark blue in her pale eyes. Jayfeather recoiled slightly, wincing as if he was about to be struck. Blackflower laughed in his face. "Again, you are very hesitant around me. I know," she mewed, turning her back on him. "It's because of _them, _isn't it? StarClan!" She spat out the word like an expletive.

"StarClan aren't all bad," Jayfeather snapped. "What about _your _mentor, Silverblaze?"

At once, Blackflower became deadly still. She stepped closer still, so close that her pink nose was a mouselength from Jayfeather's. "Do not speak of him, kit," she whispered in a dangerous voice. Her eyes flashed. "Never again. Do you hear me?"

Jayfeather immediately backed up, so far that his pelt brushed the walls of the stone den.

Blackflower followed. "Do you hear me? I want to hear you say you understand." She paused, her claws extended. "Say it!" she spat.

"I…understand." Jayfeather's voice was defiant, but he couldn't make eye contact. His pelt burned with shame. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

Blackflower didn't speak. She just stood there, waiting for StarClan-knows-what. Jayfeather noticed that both her front paws were black while her hind paws were white. "Leave now, Jayfeather," she mewed finally, no trace of her sudden rage in her voice now. "Don't come back until I call you."

Feeling like a scolded apprentice, he responded with, "Yes, Blackflower."

Suddenly, her scent grew stronger—a strange mix of herbs and something else he couldn't recall. "Behave, Jayfeather. You are loyal to _me _now. Not to StarClan." Her soft, white muzzle gently brushed against his ears. "Don't lose my favor, Jayfeather," she warned.

Jayfeather closed his eyes—fear and fervor warring inside him—and awoke in his herb den. He got shakily to his paws, feeling a strange emotion growing inside him. _Fascination, _he realized with a jolt. _She fascinates me…her constantly-shifting moods and powerful presence. _He shivered as a cold claw of fear coursed down his spine. _I need to stay away from her, _he decided firmly. _She's too dangerous._

_But what she can teach me! _Jayfeather sighed, making sure the herbs were stacked neatly before padding outside.

The rain had finally let off, coating every blade of grass that Jayfeather trod through with rain. He shook off each paw with disgust, lifting his head and scenting the air. No more patrols had come through, but Spiderleg's scent was surprisingly faint. _They just walked by, though. _Dread crawled through him at the thought of sleeping too late.

"Jayfeather! Here he is!" Poppyfrost padded up to him and pressed her nose to his. "We've been looking all over for you! Leafpool's worried sick!"

Jayfeather held back a sarcastic retort. "Sorry," he mewed shortly, stepping around her and padding on his way.

"But…she's already left."

Jayfeather stopped with one paw in midair. "What?" he demanded. "Left to where?"

"To the Moonpool! She said she couldn't wait any longer for you or she'd be late." Poppyfrost's worry scalded his pelt. "Are you going to—"

Jayfeather shoved past her and started running towards the Moonpool.

"Er, Jayfeather? You're going the wrong way."

Cursing, Jayfeather spun around and raced in the other direction. _I knew that! _he raged as he ran, branches whipping his face and soaking his pelt with their coating of water. _What's wrong with me lately?_

The scent of WindClan reached him as he approached the moors. Leafpool, Littlecloud, and Flamepaw were all sitting and waiting, flicking their tails into the wet bushes.

Leafpool's paws thudded the ground as she padded towards him. "Where have you been?" she demanded. "I sent Poppyfrost and Mousewhisker out to look for you!"

"I'm fine." Jayfeather's voice was short. "I was out looking for more of those herbs that cured Squirrelflight."

Her surprise pricked at his pelt. "Oh."

"Hi, Jayfeather!" Flamepaw squeaked as he jumped up to greet him. "It's been a while, huh?"

Jayfeather let out a reluctant purr at the apprentice's enthusiasm. He flicked his tail over Flamepaw's ears. "I hope you've been being decent and obeying your leader."

Surprisingly, Flamepaw's sudden burst of emotion wasn't happiness, or excitement, or any other Flamepaw-ish feeling—it was anguish so strong it nearly knocked Jayfeather off his paws.

"Of course he has," Littlecloud purred. "He's a good apprentice."

Jayfeather's mind was still reeling from Flamepaw's despair—the image of a blurry cat burned against his blank eyes, but he couldn't tell who it was. "Y-yes," Jayfeather agreed absently.

Leafpool's irritation prickled his pelt. "Where is Kestrelflight?" she wondered aloud. "We always wait for him here."

Littlecloud mewed, "Mothwing and Willowshine are heading over now. I can see them."

Jayfeather also heard the sound of their passage. He still was wondering about Kestrelflight's absence. Did Onestar's turning to Brokenstar change his medicine cat's allegiences?

"Hello," Mothwing greeted breathlessly. "Sorry we were so late. I saw something strange in the river."

"Something strange?" Littlecloud repeated. "Like what?"

"We aren't sure," Willowshine answered for her. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Well, maybe StarClan will tell us!" Flamepaw mewed cheerily.

Jayfeather scoffed softly. _When has StarClan given us a straight answer ever? _he thought darkly. His thoughts winged back to Blackflower—what if she was right about StarClan? What if they _were_ all cowards?

The journey to the Moonpool was tedious. Behind him, all the other medicine cats were talking animatedly about the goings-on in their individual Clans, discussing the abundance of prey, the weather. It was unbearably boring. Jayfeather found himself wondering about the herbs that Blackflower had given him. Mousefur had a cough—what if the herbs could cure her of that, too?

As soon as the ground leveled off, Jayfeather knew something was wrong. Leafpool stiffened at his side and sucked in a small gasp, shock radiating from her pelt. "Oh…my…"

"What is it?" Jayfeather demanded, sensing the other cats' dismay.

"The Moonpool," Willowshine murmured. "It's…gone."

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**So...short like I said. T-T It makes me unhappy.**

**Also, I have two new fics out that I wrote for challenges: a Pokemon one and a Warriors oneshot. I hope that you'll check 'em out. ^^**

**Also also, I have a new obsession with Fruits Basket (an awesome manga) and have a newfound love for the character of Kyo Sohma. I even made myself a Kyo bracelet to match his. Why am I telling you this? I'm...not really sure. XD He's so grouchy and irritable and amazing. Not like that lame Yuki. -scoffs- He's a pansy! :D**

**R&R, if you will!**

**Shadow**


	20. Chapter 18

**Update, update! I'm gonna be finished with this fic pretty soon. Thanks to a certain friend of mine (namely, Fwirl), I know exactly how I'm going to end this fic. I'mma base it off a certain amazing anime, but I won't tell you which one until the end. I doubt you'll guess, but then again, you might surprise me! :D**

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"What?" Jayfeather couldn't believe what he was hearing: _the Moonpool was gone?_ "What do you mean it's gone? It's a pool, for StarClan's sake! It can't just disappear!"

Leafpool's blank shock was numbing his paws and mind, making it hard to think. "It's…empty. There's no water in it."

Jayfeather sat down hard. His jaws gaped as he tried to imagine it. "There has to be some water there," he said disbelievingly.

Willowshine let out a small cry, lunging forward to sink her teeth in Jayfeather's scruff. "Come on, then," she mewed rashly. "I'll show you."

Jayfeather was too startled to say anything harsh to the RiverClan medicine cat apprentice. She yanked him, none too gentle, down the stone slope to the edge of the pool. She gave him a rough nudge, sending him sprawling into where the ice cold water should be.

Jayfeather hit the dry stone with a strange sense of finality.

_How can this be? Where is the water? _Jayfeather got to his paws and blindly reached out in every direction. Not even the steady trickling sound of water reached his ears—there was no sign of the star-reflecting pool. "How…?"

The other medicine cats padded down slowly after him. "I…I don't understand." Littlecloud sounded absolutely stunned. "It's just…gone. Even the little stream that fed it."

Willowshine let out a small mew. "How are we going to talk to StarClan now?" She quivered slightly, her unsheathed claws rattling on the cold stone.

Mothwing let out a sigh. "Everything will be fine," she mewed reassuringly. "As long as the Clans stay healthy, everything will be fine."

Jayfeather let out a muted hiss. _Why is she so blatantly obvious about her lack of faith? _

Littlecloud sounded vaguely surprised. "Mothwing, you can't be serious! The Clans _need _StarClan's guidance."

Leafpool quickly cut in. "We need to see why this is happening," she mewed. "We will return to our Clans for tonight and speak to our leaders."

"Who's going to tell WindClan?" Flamepaw asked in a shaky voice. "Kestrelflight…"

"I'll have Hollystar send a messanger," Leafpool said dismissively, her thoughts obviously elsewhere.

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Jayfeather demanded, speaking for the first time. "With WindClan being our mortal enemies and all."

Surprise sparked from her pelt. "Well, this is a medicine cat thing," she mewed, speaking as though he was a little kit. "Onestar will have no quarrel with StarClan."

Jayfeather turned his face away with a hiss. _That's what you think, _he thought darkly.

Littlecloud shook out his pelt and turned to leave, his scent fading slightly. "Come on, Flamepaw. Blackstar needs to know about this."

The little apprentice quickly agreed, turning to race up to Jayfeather. He stretched up and whispered swiftly in his ear: "Are you going to tell them about Kestrelflight?"

Jayfeather shook his head, sidestepping the apprentice to seek out Leafpool. "I'll meet you back at the hollow," he told her. "I want to go and collect some nettle seeds I set out to dry."

Leafpool's suspicion cut through him, but she mewed, "Be careful, then."

Mothwing let out a short purr. "I'll be seeing you at the next Gathering, Leafpool. My Clan has no quarrel with ThunderClan." Something flickered in her thoughts—moorland, strong scent, bleeding wounds—before she quickly covered them up. She flicked Jayfeather's shoulder with her tail and began to race away towards the lake and her own territory.

"WindClan's absence is something I must inform Blackstar of," Littlecloud murmured. "He needs to know."

Leafpool sighed. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Littlecloud. This event has nothing to do with the leaders. I think we should wait until the next Gathering to tell for sure."

Irritation spiked from him, but he agreed all the same. "Let's go back then," he mewed wearily. "Maybe StarClan will give us a sign about this."

Jayfeather curled his lip. _As if they would give us a sign. Maybe this _is _the sign or something. _He sighed. _This is such a—_

_"Jayfeather." _

Jayfeather froze with one paw in midair.

Leafpool and the ShadowClan cats paused. "Jayfeather?" Leafpool called. "Is there something wrong?"

"_Jayfeather…Jayfeather…"_

_"Jayfeather!"_

Jayfeather let out a mew of shock as pain lanced through his head. He shook his head sharply, but that only made the pain escalate.

"_Jayfeather, you can hear me right? Jayfeather?"_

"Yes. Yes," he answered, both to Leafpool's question and the other.

_"This is Blackflower."_

Leafpool pressed her side against his. "What is it? Do you have a headache?" Her voice was filled with worry.

_"Get rid of them. I need to speak with you privately. Send them away." _Jayfeather could imagine the beautiful she-cat lashing her tail in irritation.

"I'm fine," he gasped. "I…hit my head on a low branch, that's all." He straightened up and forced his fur to lie flat. "I'm okay now. I need to go collect those nettle seeds."

"I'll do that tomorrow," Leafpool mewed concernedly. "You need to go home and rest. You've hurt yourself."

"No…no," Jayfeather mewed slowly. _How is this possible? How is she speaking with me? _"I'll go get them. It's okay."

"Alright then." Leafpool's voice was reluctant. "I wish that you'd let a warrior come with you—"

Jayfeather felt a prickle of resentment. "I'll be fine," he hissed. "I can take care of myself!" Without another word, he turned his back on her and began to pad deeper into the side of the forest. Once a few fox-lengths separated them, Jayfeather sank to his haunches and listened tentatively for Blackflower's voice.

_"Good job, kit. Now, I've come to tell you something."_

"How can you be doing this?" he hissed under his breath. "How can you be talking to me like this? StarClan can't do it."

Blackflower let out a cynical laugh. _"Haven't you learned enough about StarClan yet, little Jayfeather?"_

"What do you want?" he spat out.

He heard her click her tongue in distaste. _"I'm going to tell you what's wrong with the Moonpool."_

He gasped. "Why? I thought you hated StarClan!"

_"I do. Nothing's going to change that…but I thought of how your miserable Clan needs to be coddled by your ancestors and changed my mind." _She growled. _"Besides, I'm the only one who knows what the problem is." _

Jayfeather curled his lip. "What makes you think I want to listen to you?"

A fierce claw of agony ripped through his head, sending him to his belly, yowling. "Wha…?" he rasped out.

_"I don't like hurting you, but I will if I have to."_

Jayfeather once again felt the fear that this she-cat inspired. "I…don't want anything to do with you anymore." His legs shook underneath him, and he felt as if he was spiraling out of control like a leaf in a storm.

_"Let's see if you say that after you find out about the Moonpool." _She paused. _"Get up. Go towards the Moonpool. I'm assuming you can do _that, _right?" _she added snidely.

Jayfeather sighed and got to his paws, wincing at the pain in his head. "I'll go," he snarled. "But then I'm done with you."

_"What about your Clanmates, hmm? What about that elder you get along with so well? What's her name again? Mousefoot? Mousetail?"_

Jayfeather froze in place, the blood turning to ice in his veins. "Mousefur."

_"Ah, yes. Mousefur. She's had a nasty cough lately. How terrible would it be if she joined_ StarClan_"_—she snarled the words—"_before her time?" _

"You'd better not touch her," he hissed ferociously.

_"Oh, I won't, of course. I am powerless here, after all." _There was a strange wistfulness in her voice.

Jayfeather continued walking, every sense on alert. "Can others hear you?"

Blackflower snorted. _"No, unfortunately. I can only speak to those who have come in contact with me through this infernal forest." _

Jayfeather immediately relaxed. "So I'm the only one," he breathed.

Blackflower chuckled. _"Don't be so sure," _she warned. _"We're here. Now, go up the path. You can go ahead and walk in the empty stream. We're almost there."_

Jayfeather felt the springy grass turn to smooth stone under his paws, and began to slowly pad uphill. His mind whirled with Blackflower's threats and bizarrely shifting moods. He was suddenly afraid of his own thoughts, and quickly began to focus on the round pebbles beneath his paws.

He was caught off-guard by a strong, unpleasant scent blowing in the thin breeze. He choked, scraping his paw across his muzzle irritably. "What—"

_"Be quiet! They will hear you!" _Blackflower hissed, sounding fascinated. _"Crouch down so they won't see you."_

"What are they? How many?" Jayfeather closed his eyes and concentrated hard, scenting the musky, mouse-like scent, hearing the strange slap of wood and water…

_"Be silent. I will overlap my sight with yours."_

A curious sensation spread over Jayfeather's face—it was as if he had submerged his eyes in icy water. He kept his eyes closed and drew away from the unfamiliar touch.

_"There. Open them."_

Jayfeather hesitated, then peeled back his eyelids and felt a shock that froze his paws to the stone stream.

He could see. He could really see.

He turned his head in all directions, too caught up in his own joy and excitement to hear Blackflower's call. A sharp pain quickly drew his focus back.

_"There." _He felt a mental nudge to the scene directly in front of him. He gasped as he locked his eyes on the source of the strange scent.

Creatures twice the size of a cat—enough to make up a Clan—were clambering all over some sort of structure made by woven branches and mud. Their pelts were a coarse, dark brown and they had rat-like faces—complete with overhanging teeth. A thick, flat tail dragged the ground behind them.

"What are they?" Jayfeather asked, watching a large one gnawing at a sapling at the edge of the stream. The small tree fell easily under the strong teeth.

_"They are called beavers. Their nests are made of sticks and trees," _she explained. _"See that nest—how it's blocking the stream? That is why the Moonpool is empty."_

"Why do they do it?" Jayfeather hissed. "They're messing everything up for us!" He got to his paws and let out a fierce yowl. "Get out! Get out!"

The biggest beaver—a male, he assumed—turned and glared suspiciously at Jayfeather with beady eyes. It gave the water a loud slap with its flat tail, making the other beavers sink under the water in alarm. The beaver gave a loud, broken chattering sound before it followed its kin under the water.

_"Mousebrain! What were you thinking?" _Blackflower raged_. "You're lucky that these have never seen a cat before! They're territorial!" _

"Terri…torial?" Jayfeather echoed. He started to stagger back down the stone stream and into the comforting presence of the trees. His eyes widened, despite his shock, as he stared at the trees and rocks that he had only ever imagined.

_"That means they don't like trespassers, idiot!" _Blackflower let out an exasperated snarl. _"You need to learn to listen when I speak!" _

Jayfeather was barely listening. Beavers! They were blocking off the Clans' only way to StarClan! "We have to drive them out," he murmured.

Blackflower hissed. _"Do what you want. You don't want to have anything to do with me anymore, right?" _She slowly began to pull away, taking Jayfeather's sight with her.

"No, no!" Jayfeather mewed quickly. "It's fine! Really!" He didn't want to lose this new sensation of sight—no matter how unfamiliar it was or who it came from. "Please, Blackflower! I want to learn what you have to teach me. You can be my mentor—other than Leafpool, that is."

Blackflower was silent.

Jayfeather hesitated, wondering if the she-cat had left. "Blackflower?"

_"I heard you. You're lying," _she spat suddenly. _"I can tell. You don't care for your Clan, do you? All you care about is yourself and what you can learn! You're selfish and conniving."_

Jayfeather felt stung. "I'm not selfish!" he snarled. "And I _do _care for the Clan!"

Blackflower laughed, softly this time, and drew away, pulling Jayfeather's sight away. He let out a low hiss as the darkness returned. _"We won't speak again, Jayfeather. Put all thoughts of me out of your mind."_

"No!" Jayfeather felt a blow to his belly. He _needed _to see! "It's for my Clan that I want to see! How can I tell if a cat's eyes are dilated, or if their skin is pale, or…" He trailed off, breathing hard.

Blackflower's presence grew less cold. _"Then come to me," _she whispered._ "I have what is necessary for sight. Come to me…"_ With those last words, she withdrew completely from Jayfeather's mind. He staggered as the last trails of her power left him.

_What am I doing? _He didn't even know who he was anymore. _Am I becoming her? Am I becoming like Tigerstar? _His dream from moons ago suddenly leapt into his mind, filling his thoughts with the dark pool that turned his pelt Tigerstar's color.

_Oh, StarClan, no! _He understood. This very heartbeat, he understood.

"The Darkpool," he whispered. "The Darkpool is doing this to me…making me think this way. The water…the moss..." He trailed off, closing his eyes and leaning into a tree. _She says she can heal me…give me my sight. _He opened his eyes and stared into the darkness, not knowing what was out there lurking, lying in wait for him. _But at what cost? _

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**Grr! Stupid thing is messing with my ANs and putting them right under my text instead of under the line! Sorry if this one looks bizarre. My OC brain is going crazy about it. T-T**

**Yay! Done, done. I've got to finish this one up, as well as my other HDM fic before the summer ends. That gives me a long time, though, so I'm not particularly worried.**

**Oh, and Lightkit? I am the BIGGEST Kyoru fan EVER. I just finished off the manga, and it made me rather depressed that it's over. D: But it was amazing while it lasted. Kyo is so much cuter in the manga than in the anime, no? And at least Yuki ended up with someone nice/weird. **

**Oh, and btw, the "weird, thin, slimy moss" that Jayfeather uses to communicate with Blackflower? Totally algae. I can't say it's algae in the fic, obviously, as cats don't know what algae is. But now you know. -nods-**

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	21. Chapter 19

**Omg. This stupid thing deleted my ANs again. You know what? Forget this! I try to entertain you guys with some funny/awesome ANs everytime, and FF just doesn't care! This is so unbelievably suckish! .**

**So, in short, this AN was about Wordpad and how much I hate it. The AN was quite lawlable, if I do say so myself, but now it's gone and you're reading this extended run-on sentence. -_-'**

**Go on then. Go read the chapter. -shooes-**

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"Hm. So these are 'beavers,' you said?" Hollystar peered through her hiding spot, trying to see better. "They're really...weird-looking. They have long teeth and flat tails--"

"I know," Jayfeather cut her off. He seemed to be in a grouchier mood than usual.

Hollystar was surprised. "How do you know that?" she demanded. "Did you see them in a dream or something?"

Jayfeather blinked hard. "Y-yes," he mewed, his whiskers twitching like he was going to laugh. "Yes, a dream."

Hollystar turned away from him and faced the beavers again. They seemed to be eating the side of a tree, their sharp teeth effectively scraping through the tough bark. After a few heartbeats of work, the tree tilted to the side, wobbling dangerously, before crashing noisily to the ground.

Honeyfern leapt a tail-length in the air at the sudden noise. "Mousebrains," she spat, leaning closer to Hollystar. "What are they _doing?" _

"They use trees to make their nests," Jayfeather informed her, crouching in the shadfe of a bramble bush. He closed his eyes and flattened his ears. "They use mud to hold everything together."

Cloudtail scoffed, leaning around Brightheart to glare at him. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. What kind of nest is that?" He flicked his tail to motion to the great mound of branches that were piled in the middle of the stream.

"Well, whatever it is, we have to get rid of it." Hollystar tracked each of the waddling creatures, plotting their movements. "They don't look that fast--we can probably scare them off easily."

Thornclaw pressed his side into hers. "We might want to take this slowly," he mewed softly. "We don't know what these things are capable of."

Hollystar reluctantly agreed with him. "They technically are in our territory," she mewed firmly. "They need to be taken care of quickly. Especially with the Moonpool dried up because of them." She narrowed her eyes. "Blocking the stars..." she muttered to herself.

She flashed her gaze back to the largest beaver, who was dragging the fallen tree over to the nest. The way they moved, it almost seemed like they were in a constant crouch...

She hissed, realizing the facts. _This _was the enemy that had blocked out the stars! It was just like Yellowfang said! _She said it was an _enemy, Hollystar thought. _That proves that they need to go. _She got to her paws. "We're going to attack," she said softly, flicking her tail for the warriors to get up.

Brightheart looked alarmed. "We need to watch them a little more!" she insisted. "We still don't--"

"No, we're going to attack." Hollystar stalked forward to pull herself out of the shelter of the brambles, knowing her black pelt kept her hidden in the shade. "Come on," she urged.

Thornclaw was the first out, followed reluctantly by Brightheart and Cloudtail, with Honeyfern at the rear.

"You had better stay here," Hollystar told Jayfeather.

Jayfeather immediately bristled. "I can take care of myself!" he hissed.

Hollystar repressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Please, Jayfeather." She stepped forward to press her muzzle to his. "I want you to be safe," she murmured. "I can't be worrying about you. You can stay here and keep watch. Give me an alert if Graystripe comes up with his patrol, okay?"

Jayfeather growled low in his throat, but nodded all the same. "I'm coming if I hear anything going wrong," he warned.

Hollystar purred. "Okay." She turned away from with a strange feeling of dread. Why did he always seem to have something on his mind recently? Was he faltering in his medicine duties? She wanted to ask him, but knew that he would never give her a straight answer. She sighed and followed her patrol over the rise, letting out a fierce yowl.

The beavers' heads flicked up at the same instant--the simultaneous movement was strangely off-putting.

"You are in ThunderClan territory," she announced, not knowing if they understood. "You are not allowed to be here, so we have come to remove you."

The big male beaver narrowed its eyes. It slapped the water with its tail, giving a bark to its kin. The other beavers vanished under the water.

To Hollystar's shock, the beaver opened its mouth and spoke. "We here first. You leave. You go."

"We can't do that," Honeyfern hissed in outrage. "This is _ours!"_

_  
_The beaver chomped its teeth. "My kin here. No harm you."

"You've blocked off an important stream," Hollystar said calmly, flicking Honeyfern with her tail. "We need this stream to be flowing."

Beaver heads began popping up out of the water, their brown eyes shining in the bright sun and their thick whiskers twitching. "You go," the beaver repeated.

"We'll fight if we have to. This stream needs to be open." Hollystar unsheathed her claws.

The beaver saw this and its eyes widened just a bit. It bared its rat-like teeth and slapped the water with its tail again. "We fight. This our home. Our dam here." He motioned with a thick-clawed paw towards the mound of branches.

"Move, then. You are not welcome here."

The beaver let out a choking laugh. More of its kind were pouring up over the banks, gathering behind it in rough lines. "We not welcome here," it repeated, chuckling in a deep voice. "_You _not welcomed here." It let out a chattering sound and the beavers moved forward.

"Go! Fight them!" Hollystar shrieked, leaping towards the beaver that was speaking. She landed solidly on its flank, raking her claws down its side. It let out a hissing bellow and reached up with its sharp teeth to sink them into Hollystar's already wounded shoulder. She couldn't hold back a screech of agony as the cruel teeth tightened in her flesh.

Thornclaw came out of nowhere, burying his teeth in the beaver's small, furry ear. Hollystar took advantage of his surprise attack and dug her claws into the coarse pelt of the beaver. Working together, they managed to pin the thrashing creature to the ground where it laid, panting hard.

Hollystar looked up to see the rest of the patrol holding their own. Honeyfern yowled fiercely at a smaller beaver as it shuffled quickly into the water, lashing at it with thorn-sharp claws. Cloudtail and Brightheart had managed to wound the leg of one beaver, leaving it twisting on the ground, while they went after another.

The head beaver saw his kin going down and let out a hoarse bark of astonishment. "What you?" it whispered, looking up at Hollystar. "What you? You beat...kin?"

"We," Hollystar snarled, baring her teeth, "are ThunderClan!"

The beaver wrinkled its nose and hissed. "Thunder not welcome here!"

"Well, too bad. Get out or we'll have to teach you another lesson!"

The beaver chittered and lowed its head. "Fight lost," it muttered. "We go."

"Don't come back!" Thornclaw spat, sinking his teeth into the beaver's hind leg.

The beaver wrenched its foot free and stumbled over to the wounded beaver on the ground, snuffling at its brown fur. It gave a sharp bark to its kin and waddled away, leading the ragtag group down the stream and out of sight quickly.

Cloudtail spat out a mouthful of brown fur as he padded up. "Foul, fox-hearted beasts," he snarled. "We made sure they won't be back soon."

Hollystar gave a weary mew of agreement, her shoulder aching again. "Is everyone alright?" she asked. "Anyone injured?"

"You are, Hollystar," Jayfeather pointed out, coming down the side of the ridge with his pelt bristling. He gave her shoulder a quick sniff. "You'll live," he reported dryly. "You just barely tore the muscle."

"Yeah, well it hurts," she retorted, relieved to see he was alright. "You all fought well. We need to get back home and rest now." She pressed her nose into Thornclaw's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered against his tabby fur.

He brushed his muzzle across her ears. "If I would have lost you...I don't know what I would have done," he murmured.

Feeling choked, Hollystar breathed in his comforting scent. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he chuckled. "You did well today. You're really learning how to lead these cats well."

Hollystar turned around to follow the rest of the patrol as if she was just a warrior again, following the senior warriors home after another completed patrol. "I really hope so," she murmured. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing...going down the right path." She looked up into his amber eyes. "I wonder if I'm leading ThunderClan in the right direction or..." She trailed off.

Thornclaw looked shocked. "Of course you are! I've lived through three leaders, and you've done just as well as any of them."

"Three?" Hollystar frowned. "You were alive when Bluestar was leader?"

Thornclaw nodded, wincing slightly.

"What?" she asked, watching the emotion go across his face.

He lowered his head and laughed. "It's just strange to think that I'm so much older than you. I was a warrior before your mother was even born, for StarClan's sake!"

Hollystar purred and shook her head. "I don't care if you're older than me," she murmured. "I really don't."

Thornclaw laughed softly and pressed his face against hers. "Neither do I, then. You know we can't have kits with you being leader."

Hollystar nodded. "I know, but I don't need kits if I have you." She tilted her head. "Did you want a family?"

Thornclaw hesitated for a heartbeat.

In that same moment, the peace of the silent woods was shattered. A cry so loud it hurt Hollystar's ears rang out, echoing off the tree trunks.

"That's Graystripe!" Brightheart gasped.

Ever hair on Hollystar's pelt was on edge as she raced towards the voice. The scent of RiverClan was thick in her nostrils. _What are they doing!? We have no quarrel with RiverClan! _

"Hollystar! Hollystar, RiverClan are attacking!" Rosepaw skittered out of the undergrowth, her pelt ruffled and her eyes wide with fear. "Graystripe...he sent me...to find you," she panted.

"Lead the way," Hollystar ordered, already racing through the woods.

"They're getting close to the camp," Rosepaw mewed swiftly. "Leopardstar brought a whole battle patrol of all the best warriors! Reedwhisker, Beechfur, Mistyfoot...it looks bad."

"We can take them." Thornclaw brushed his tail down his apprentice's back. "Everything's going to be alright."

Rosepaw blinked her amber eyes like she couldn't believe him.

The battle came into view a few tail-lengths from the lake. RiverClan warriors were backing the ThunderClan patrol towards the water, forcing their back paws into the still-cold water. Leopardstar was at the front of the attack, lashing her claws a whisker-length away from Mousewhisker's eyes.

"Stop!" Hollystar screeched.

The fighting ceased immediately.

For a moment, Hollystar was shocked. _My power, _she realized. _I haven't used it in so long..._"What is going on here?" she demanded. "Leopardstar, why are you here fighting my warriors?"

The dappled she-cat stepped forward, her green eyes glittering. "Pouncetail," she snapped, not looking away from Hollystar's face.

The ginger-and-white tom padded up quickly and dropped a leafy branch at his leader's paws, backing away without another word.

Leopardstar reached down and pushed the branch towards Hollystar roughly, nearly poking her in the eye with the spindly leaves. "Scent that, Hollystar, and you will know why I'm here. I'm sure you already do, but every kit knows that ThunderClan will lie to defend their own."

Fury burning in her belly, Hollystar resentfully bent her head and inhaled the strong scent of ThunderClan on the pale leaves. She jerked back, shocked. "I...I don't know how that's possible," she mewed.

Leopardstar rolled her eyes. "Of course not." She flipped her head around to face her Clan. "Did you hear that? She doesn't know where the scent came from!"

Jeers and hisses arose from the sleek-pelted warriors at their leader's words. "Since when do ThunderClan ever tell the truth?" one cat whispered loudly to her companion.

"Silence!" Hollystar's words were clearly an order--one that no cat besides her brother could refuse. "Leopardstar, there is no way that ThunderClan scent could be on your territory. How do I know you didn't rub this in our border markers when you stepped paw on our territory?"

Leopardstar's eyes widened incredulously. "Are you questioning the honor of my Clan?" she demanded. "Do you think that RiverClan would stoop so low? We also found half-eaten prey! Even a rogue knows to bury stolen prey!"

The silence was eerie as the leaders stared each other down.

Hollystar narrowed her eyes at Leopardstar, but was reluctant to use her power to force this cat off ThunderClan territory. _Let's prove to her how strong my Clan is. _"Leopardstar, if you don't leave, this means war between our Clans."

Leopardstar padded up, so close that she and Hollystar were nose to nose. "War it is, then," she whispered, the smell of fish strong on her breath.

"Attack!" Hollystar yowled, reaching up to claw a pawful of fur off of the RiverClan leader's shoulder. Leopardstar snarled angrily and bared her teeth, letting out a deep snarl. She gripped Hollystar's flank with unsheathed forepaws and dragged her down to the ground.

Hollystar spat angrily. "Looks like your Clan is a bunch of ragged rats!" she hissed ferociously in Leopardstar's face. "They couldn't even take on my warriors in a fair fight!"

Leopardstar snapped her teeth at Hollystar's ear but didn't reply. Hollystar pummeled the spotted she-cat with her hind paws, desperate to break away and help her Clan.

For the second time, Thornclaw came to her rescue, raking his thorn-sharp claws down Leopardstar's ear and leaving a trail of scarlet blood. He dragged Hollystar out from under the leader and got her to her paws.

"I can take care of myself!" she spat at him, the haze of battle still clouding her mind. "I can fight my own battles!"

Thornclaw's eyes widened. "I...I just wanted to help you."

Hollystar padded past him without another word, sinking her teeth into Reedwhisker's hind leg. She felt a sense of sadness in the back of her mind to be attacking this usually-kind tom, but he was an enemy in her territory--an enemy that had to be disposed of.

The black tom let out a screech of pain, and leaned down to sink his claws into Hollystar's thick fur, getting a firm hold. "Get...off!" He yanked his paw back and sent Hollystar crashing into the bushes.

The breath went out of her lungs in a whoosh, and she retched and wheezed on the ground. Through glazed eyes, she saw Cloudtail grappling with Mosspelt, sending the tortoiseshell she-cat spinning over and over again. Brightheart and Graystripe had Blackclaw pinned by a bramble bush, while Mousewhisker sank his teeth into Mistyfoot's tail.

A wail rang out, and Hollystar lurched to her paws. Rosepaw was pinned between the water and two bristling apprentices, their claws unsheathed. Hollystar, fighting for breath, staggered towards them and shoved the apprentices aside. "Two on one?" she demanded in a raspy voice. "That seems fair."

The silver apprentice bared her teeth and narrowed her green eyes. "You can't tell us what to do!" she hissed. The other white she-cat nodded agreement, her pale eyes glittering.

Hollystar felt a wave of sadness wash over her. _Two young cats already filled with hatred, _she sighed. "Go home." She filled her voice with power. "Go back to your camp."

"Right away," they chorused, their eyes out of focus, turning around and racing away, soon disappearing through the fray.

Rosepaw watched with wide eyes. "How did you--" She was cut off by a savage snarling sound.

Hollystar whipped towards the noise just in time to see Leopardstar rip her claws through the throat of a ThunderClan warrior, turning the brown fur crimson with the free-slowing blood.

"No!" Hollystar screamed, not caring if any other cat was watching, only seeing Thornclaw, her best friend, her mate, bleeding to death under the unsheathed claws of Leopardstar. "Thornclaw, no! No, no no!"

Leopardstar looked astonished. "I...I didn't mean to kill him!" she yowled. "He...he squirmed under my claws and I--"

"Get out." There was a deadly calm in Hollystar's voice--she was sure that even the other cats could hear the force behind the words. "Any RiverClan cat caught on ThunderClan territory after sunset is dead."

The RiverClan cats, as one, got to their paws and fled the clearing, leaving only the ragged ThunderClan cats behind.

Moving as if in a dream, Hollystar approached Thornclaw's torn and bleeding body. Her paws felt as if they were being sucked by thick mud as she dragged herself towards his broken body. "Thorn...Thornclaw?"

The golden brown tom's breath created rasping bubbles in his torn throat. His mouth moved, but he was clearly beyond speech. His eyes wheeled in his head--searching, searching.

Hollystar raised a forepaw and carefully wiped away a trail of blood from his mouth. "Thornclaw..." She was baffled--utterly bewhildered. _He was just okay, _she thought blankly. _He saved me...he saved me..._"Oh, Thornclaw!" She threw herself down on the ground beside him, reaching out with her forepaws to turn his head to face her--trying to get his eyes to lock on hers. "Thornclaw, look at me!"

Thornclaw's paws twitched as if he was reaching for her, but his chest heaved with the effort of breathing.

"Jayfeather...Jayfeather!" Hollystar didn't turn her face away from her mate's--keeping her eyes on his familiar face.

Jayfeather approached on silent paws. He bent to press his flank to hers. "I'm sorry, Hollystar," he mewed softly. "I'm so, so sorry."

Hollystar could barely hear him. She was thinking hard, her whole face furrowed in concentration. She pressed her paws gently against Thornclaw's face and murmured one word: "Live."

Thornclaw's breathing halted for a moment, and Hollystar thought her heart would burst. With a wheezing gasp, he sucked in another breath.

"Live," she whispered again, softly shaking his face. "_Live. _I'm ordering you. You can't die! You can't leave me here alone! Not alone!" By the end of her words, she was almost yowling.

Thornclaw weakly lifted his head. "Holly...Holly..."

"Don't strain yourself," Hollystar whispered, trying to keep the sob out of her voice.

"Holly...star. Hollystar." He tried to lift his head again, but the effort was too much. "Hollystar, I...I..."

Hollystar pressed her face against his, clamping her teeth on a yowl. "I love you, too, Thornclaw. Wait for me...don't leave me here! Thornclaw! Thornclaw!"

But his time was up. His head fell back down on the churned-up soil with a sense of finality, his final breath coming in a peaceful sigh.

The clearing was silent, no cat speaking or moving. The whole Clan was transfixed on the scene in front of them.

Hollystar got to her paws, moving slowly like an old cat. She gently bent down and licked her mate's eyelids closed, arranging his limbs so appeared asleep. She turned her back on his body and padded to the shore of the lake, peering out across the smooth surface as the sun slowly set over the horizon.

Jayfeather came up beside her, as well as Lionblaze, who she hadn't noticed in the battle. They didn't say anything, just pressed their pelts to hers and supported her.

Hollystar felt an odd sensation in her belly--as if some invisible claw had ripped out her insides and left them on the sharp-stoned shore. Her heart ached with every beat, sending her mind whirling. "I...I..." She couldn't go on. She closed her eyes and bent her head.

"It's okay, Hollystar," Lionblaze whispered, giving her a tender lick on the shoulder. "You can tell us what you feel. We won't judge you."

"Hollystar," Jayfeather mewed softly, rubbing his muzzle against her.

"I..." Hollystar cleared her throat, the odd feeling igniting into uncontrollable rage. "I'm going to destroy RiverClan. Leopardstar will die by my claws."

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**So this was another AN where I went on to say something to the effect of "Oh noes! Thornclaw is deadsies!" and to make some comment about sleeping and reviewing and updating--basically all-around complaining. I'm not sure if you guys read these ANs anyway, but if you do, Shadow says hi and thanks! XDDD**

**In _this _space, I would probably make some comment about Kyo or Titanic, and how awesome those two subjects are. Or, I might go the other way and say that dipping french fries in Frosties is really good. -shrugs- **

**What can you do?**

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	22. Chapter 20

**This chapter has been saved on my computer for like three days, but I haven't had time to upload it. Turns out that bad sunburn limits your ability to do things, shockingly enough. :P**

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Lionblaze looked from the body of Thornclaw to Hollystar's face, back and forth in disbelief. "W-what?" he stammered.

Murderous rage came across her face like a thunderstorm. "I'm going to kill her," she snarled softly. "I'm going to _personally _kill Leopardstar." She turned to look at him, her lip curled.

"Hollystar, I know that--"

"Shut up!" Hollystar snapped. She wheeled around to face the Clan. "Take this body back to camp and stay there. I will return shortly."

Lionblaze felt a chill in his heart at her use of the words "this body." It was as if she didn't care that her own beloved mate had fallen in battle.

"Yes, Hollystar." Graystripe padded over to Thornclaw and gently took him by the scruff, nodding to Mousewhisker to grab the other side.

Lionblaze turned to look at Jayfeather as the battered patrol headed back to camp. The medicine cat apprentice looked shocked, as if he could actually see what was happening. "You can't kill Leopardstar," he tried to reason. "She's the leader of another Clan--"

"And a murdering fox-hearted coward," Hollystar finished in a furious growl. "She deserves to die. She supported Tigerstar in his schemes seasons ago--who knows what she's done since then?"

"Hollystar, that's crazy talk!" Jayfeather spat. "What about the Clan? What about the warrior code?"

"The warrior code is dead! The warrior code was destroyed when they made that piece of crowfood the leader! ShadowClan, too, with Tigerpaw, and with Owlwhisker in WindClan!" Her voice dropped as she stared at her paws with burning eyes. "They took away...they killed..." She shut her eyes, a low keen rising in her throat.

Lionblaze didn't know what to say. He saw something flickering in Hollystar's green eyes and was afraid of it. He looked over at Jayfeather desperately and was irritated by how useless he felt.

"One way or another," Hollystar mewed, "the other Clans will have to pay. Who better than ThunderClan to teach them a lesson? And with the right strategy, we can be in and out of RiverClan's territory in heartbeats."

"Hollystar, think about what you're saying!" Lionblaze tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't even look at him. "I know that you're upset--"

"Upset?" Hollystar echoed incredulously. "Upset? I was _upset _when Brackenfur was killed 'by accident.'" Her voice was harsh as she mewed the words. "I was _devastated _when Toadspring was killed by Tigerpaw--_your _kin! I'm _livid _now. The others think they can take warriors away from me, but they are _dead wrong._"

Jayfeather slowly got to his paws.

"Where are you going?" Hollystar demanded. "You need to help me plan this attack. You two are the only ones in this Clan that I can trust now. Not Thornclaw...not anymore."

"This is just a way for you to cope." Jayfeather's voice was blunt but calm. "You don't know what to do now, but in time--"

"Don't patronize me!" Hollystar spat. "I am your leader and you _will _follow my commands!" She wrenched her gaze away from him to glare at Lionblaze. "So will you. Together, the Three shall conquer the other Clans!" Her eyes were scorching.

Lionblaze gasped, leaping to his paws to stare incredulously down at her. "Are you crazy?" he shouted. "This is insane! You can't go and do this! It's against the warrior code! It's against StarClan!"

"StarClan will be on my side." Hollystar's words were scathing. "You were wrong about them accepting me before. What makes you think you're right this time? Well?"

Lionblaze was dumbstruck. Her words were correct, but the context they were in..."I won't go along with this," he said calmly. "I won't."

Hollystar carefully got to her paws and stepped up to him, attempting to stare into his eyes.

"No!" he screeched, averting his gaze. "I won't follow you! I won't!"

"So what now then, Lionblaze? Will you go to join that piece of foxdung Heathertail in WindClan?" She let out a harsh crack of laughter. "Will you go to Onestar and beg him for pity?"

Lionblaze's pelt burned with anger. "You're mad!"

"Mad? I'm in the _right_! At moonhigh, ThunderClan will go to RiverClan and fight, and you will be leading the attack."

"What about you?" he demanded, keeping his eyes focused on the stones at his paws so she couldn't use her power on him.

"I can't fight. My shoulder is injured from those wretched beavers. I'll stay on the sidelines and organize the attack, then swoop in when the time is right and get my revenge." She unsheathed her claws, scraping against the shingle.

Jayfeather's eyes were fixed on his paws with an unusual concentration. As Lionblaze watched, he nodded just slightly as if he knew Lionblaze was watching.

Making up his mind, Lionblaze quickly mewed, "Okay, Hollystar," all the while shooting furtive glances at Jayfeather.

Hollystar purred. "I knew you would understand. After all, you have Cinderheart and a new family to take care of, right?" She narrowed her eyes shrewdly.

Lionblaze gasped. "H-how did you know?" he hedged.`

She rolled her eyes, scoffing. "Please, Lionblaze. I think most of the Clan has noticed by now. There isn't enough prey to make her _that _plump." She pressed her nose into his shoulder, but her eyes were still burning with the thirst for vengeance. "More kin for Jayfeather and me."

Lionblaze hesitated, then rasped his tongue over her ear.

Pleased, she stepped back and began to pad towards the camp, mewing, "Come on, then. We have a battle to plan!" over her shoulder. She flicked her tail for them to follow.

"What are you thinking?" Lionblaze whispered to Jayfeather as soon as she was out of earshot. "What's the plan?"

"The plan is to make her think we're on her side," Jayfeather replied softly. "She's dying for someone to trust, and who better than her own kin? Hollystar is all about blood." His words were grim.

"We can't let her go and kill Leopardstar!" Lionblaze gasped. "That's against the code! She's just upset and angry about Thornclaw!"

"You know how she is," Jayfeather countered angrily. "Once she gets an idea in her head, there's no getting it out."

"But killing a Clan leader...we have to stop this."

"I'm sure she's going to take care of that," Jayfeather mewed dryly. "The Clan doesn't seem to know when she uses the power on _them_--only when they see her use it on someone else. If she uses it on the whole Clan during a meeting when everyone is looking at her, they'll have no choice but to follow her orders."

"She couldn't use it on me when I wasn't looking at her," Lionblaze mused. "What if we got the Clan to not look?"

Jayfeather scoffed, his ears flicking for any sound that warned of Hollystar listening in. "Oh, yeah, that should go well. 'Hey, everyone! Don't look at Hollystar, okay? Just look at the walls!'" He shook his head.

Feeling rather stupid, Lionblaze grumbled, "Well, what do you think we should do?"

"I think we need to go ahead with this attack. No tactics are good enough to get past RiverClan's defenses. They have streams and things that are blocking the way."

"But it's almost green-leaf," Lionblaze argued. "The rivers aren't as full as they were in new-leaf!"

Jayfeather stopped walking. "Then why don't you go and warn RiverClan?"

Lionblaze paused, too--one paw in midair. "That might work," he mused, "but how would I get around Hollystar? She's waiting for us to return; if she notices that I don't enter the camp with you, who knows what she'll do?"

"Then I don't know," he snapped. "The best we can do is keep her away from Leopardstar. RiverClan _did _kill Thornclaw, after all. They need to get a fair warning from ThunderClan."

"The Clans have gone mad," Lionblaze muttered, looking out over the barely-visible lake. "Everyone has. Sometimes, I think it's...all because of us."

Jayfeather looked surprised. "Us?" he echoed.

Lionblaze nodded, nudging Jayfeather's shoulder to press him forward again. "Because of this prophecy," he clarified. "Because we aren't like our Clanmates or other cats in the Clans. There are so many secrets and lies..."

Jayfeather nodded. "You're right about the lies," he mewed distantly, "but I can't believe that we caused this. It's all spiraling now...eventually, we're going to crash and that'll be the end of the Clans."

Lionblaze squeezed through the entrance tunnel ahead of Jayfeather and mumbled, "I really hope you're wrong."

Hollystar was already on the Highledge speaking. "We'll go now and attack while they aren't suspecting us. I want two groups of cats to come in at different angles: while the first group distracts RiverClan, the stronger forces will hit them from the back." Her gaze swept across the cats present. "I want Ferncloud, Foxclaw, Icepelt, Berrynose, Hazeltail, and--" she narrowed her eyes shrewdly--"Daisy on that patrol."

Astonished gasps went up around the clearing.

"Excuse me?" Cloudtail demanded, stepping forward with his long white pelt bristling. "Did you just say Daisy was on that patrol?"

"I did." Hollystar's voice was light. "She will accompany the side group. On the other patrol--"

"She can't fight!" Cloudtail interrupted.

Hollystar's eyes flashed. "She needs to join a battle for once," she growled, eyeing the scared-looking Daisy, who was sitting in front of the nursery. "She can get her claws dirty for the sake of her Clan."

Ferncloud narrowed her eyes. "She already contributes to the Clan," she yowled. "She had five kits, for StarClan's sake! Warriors for the Clan!"

"You've had kits, too, haven't you?" Hollystar countered. "You still fight for the Clan."

"But Ferncloud wasn't a kittypet." Dustpelt immediately jumped to his mate's defense. "Daisy has helped the Clan as much as she can!"

Lionblaze watched the exchange with a sick feeling in his belly. _Hollystar doesn't need to show the rest of the Clan how mad she is, _he thought grimly.

"Bait," Jayfeather mewed softly.

"What?"

"She's going to use that patrol as bait," Jayfeather explained. "Weaker and less experienced cats. She wants RiverClan to be taken by surprise." He paused. "It's a good move, actually," he admitted.

"But she's going to get cats killed!" Lionblaze hissed.

"Maybe. But I'm sure she's thinking that RiverClan won't kill another warrior after they did away with Thornclaw."

Lionblaze growled softly in the back of his throat. "That's a fool's thinking."

Jayfeather didn't look convinced. "Maybe."

Hollystar had glared down the arguing Clan. "Daisy will be on that patrol," she said, slowly and precisely.

Lionblaze, his head suddenly whirling strangely, saw the reason behind her plan. "It's a good idea," he said firmly. "She definitely should be on that patrol."

"Snap out of it," Jayfeather spat, whacking him with an unsheathed forepaw. "You were watching her, weren't you? Mousebrain!"

Shocked, Lionblaze hissed back, "What was that for?"

Jayfeather rolled his eyes, seeming to stifle a sigh. "Hollystar just used her power. You got the full dose."

Lionblaze tilted his head to the side. "I don't think so," he responded confidently. "Hollystar knows what she's talking about."

Jayfeather began to speak, then held up his paw for silence as Hollystar mewed, "Lionblaze, you will come with me on the other patrol. Spiderleg, Dustpelt, Sorreltail, Squirrelflight, Poppyfrost, and Birchfall will come with us."

Lionblaze got to his paws and shook out his pelt, ready to spring to his leader's side and go with her to fight.

"Actually, I need Lionblaze's help with something really quick," Jayfeather interjected. "If that's alright with you, Hollystar."

Hollystar narrowed her eyes again, but agreed in a quick mew. "Be back soon."

"We will," Jayfeather promised, already nudging Lionblaze through the entrance tunnel.

"Wait," Lionblaze protested. "I'm supposed to lead the patrol..."

Jayfeather let out an exasperated sigh. "Mousebrain! Hollystar used her power on you! Don't you remember?"

Lionblaze frowned as he followed Jayfeather into the woods. He shut his eyes to help his concentration, but he couldn't recall anything other than the fact that Hollystar had some great battle plans. "I think you're wrong."

"Of course you do." Jayfeather lashed his tail as he padded farther into the woods. "Now be quiet. I need to think."

"I need to get back to camp!" Lionblaze repeated. "I'm supposed to--"

"Lead the patrol. Yes, yes." Jayfeather shook his head from side-to-side as if he were scenting. "Are you sure this will work?" he muttered in a low voice. "It'll clear up his head?"

"What?"

Jayfeather frowned and waved his tail for silence. "I know that!" he hissed suddenly, startling Lionblaze. "Just a small dose?"

"Who are you talking to?" Lionblaze demanded.

Without warning, Jayfeather turned and began digging at the base of an old oak, dirt flying as he scraped.

Mystified, Lionblaze padded forward just as Jayfeather squirmed into the hole and disappeared. "Jayfeather!" he called worriedly.

"I'm fine." The gray tabby was already coming back up the earthy tunnel, shaking the clinging dirt off his pelt. He had a mouthful of darkly-spotted leaves in his mouth.

Lionblaze was shocked. "Those are the herbs you gave Squirrelflight!"

"Yeah." He dropped them at Lionblaze's paws. "Eat all of them, please."

"I'm not poisoned," Lionblaze argued.

Jayfeather let out an angry hiss. "Just eat them and you'll see what I mean."

Feeling rather nervous, Lionblaze dipped his head and snapped up the small pile of herbs, curling his lip to ward off the bitter taste. The juices seemed to spread through his mouth with a burning sensation like he had just swallowed hot water. "What are those?" he gasped.

"Shardleaves. They'll clear your head of Hollystar's power. Hopefully, that is," Jayfeather added. He crept closer and seemed to look into Lionblaze's eyes. "Tell me: what do you think about Daisy being sent into battle?"

Lionblaze bared his teeth. "That's insane!"

Jayfeather pulled back, a pleased look on his face. "It seems that these herbs will ward off Hollystar's power," he mewed softly. "I'm not sure what they do for the rest of us, though."

Memories poured back into Lionblaze's now-clear head. Hollystar on the Highledge, her blazing eyes locking with his as she commanded him to obey..."She needs to have her power limited," he snarled.

Jayfeather was nodding his head. Standing up, he lashed out suddenly and clawed a pawful of moss off of the nearest tree with surprising accuracy. "Take this. Hollystar needs to see a reason for us leaving."

"Right." As he bent to pick up the bundle of moss, Lionblaze looked back up at Jayfeather. The medicine cat apprentice was staring around his surroundings with wide and wistful eyes. A jolt coursed through Lionblaze as he thought about the possibilities of this action. "Can you...see?"

Jayfeather started. "Of course not!" he snapped, blinking hard, his eyes unfocused. "Don't be stupid." He snagged his own mouthful of moss and padded off without another word, flicking his tail for Lionblaze to follow.

Sighing, he got up to follow after his brother-of-sorts, his mind still burning with the aftertaste of the herbs. _Will these leaves get rid of Hollystar's power completely? _he wondered. _What if it gets rid of mine, too? What then? _Lionblaze's belly filled with dread when he realized he had no answer to that question.

* * *

**I'm actually pretty upset the way this chapter turned out. I think I'm rushing this fic along a little too much, so I'm changing the number of chapters from 25 to 30. That gives me a little more room to add and stuff. Sound good to you guys? :D**

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	23. Chapter 21

**Hollystar chapter! Have I mentioned that I hate Word? Because I really_, really_ hate Word. I have to type all my chapters right on this Document Manager instead, which makes things very irritating. -sigh- **

**Anyhoo, on to the chapter!**

* * *

Hollystar dug her claws into the stone face of the Highledge as she watched the patrols ready themselves. Daisy was standing close to Ferncloud, who, by use of Hollystar's power, now totally supported the idea of the former kittypet entering the battle. Hollystar felt a prickle of disappointment with herself for using her power on the Clan. _If I had gotten them to follow me in the first place, I never would have had to use it. I'm a terrible leader. Thornclaw was wrong. _

At the thought, she turned to see the sun-dappled pelt of her mate laying in the shade of the bramble screen outside the medicine den. Leafpool had already looked at the body and announced that Thornclaw had died from a blow to the throat. _Oh _really? _Because that wasn't _totally _obvious. _Hollystar was infuriated by his death, but she had no time to mourn yet. Her claws raked the smooth surface of the Highledge. Yes, she thought, revenge would come first.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, her younger self was screeching at her. _What are you doing?! What about the warrior code? What about not killing an enemy warrior? Have you forgotten all that it means to be a Clan leader?_

_No, _she answered herself. _I haven't forgotten. That's why I have to do this--ThunderClan must live. _

"Hollystar." Graystripe jumped up onto the rockpile to stand beside her. "What are the plans? It's almost sunset."

"We will attack soon," she replied. "Leafpool just needs to finish treating the wounded. Jayfeather and Lionblaze haven't returned yet, either." She frowned.

"I just saw them come in," Graystripe mewed, sitting down next to her. "I sent Jayfeather straight to help Leafpool."

"And Lionblaze?" Hollystar tried to keep the anger out of her voice. The memory of him snarling at her that she was mad burned in her mind.

Graystripe stood up to peer down at the Clan. "There he is!" He motioned with his tail to the nursery. Lionblaze was following after Cinderheart as she padded inside, his amber eyes wide and worried.

_Who knew that he would ever be that sensitive? _Hollystar shook her head. "Cinderheart's in the nursery now? She'll be safe here--I'm going to leave you in charge of the cats here. You'll have Cloudtail and Brightheart here for support. I was thinking of bringing Blossompaw and Bumblepaw along as well. Blossompaw has an astounding memory--it could prove useful if RiverClan tried to pull anything."

Graystripe's fur bristled along his spine. "My kits aren't ready for their first battle," he said harshly. "Please, don't send them along."

Hollystar was surprised. "Bumblepaw has proved himself to be a great fighter," she argued. "I sat in on a training practice between him and Brightheart a few sunrises ago. His training is coming along very nicely."

Graystripe's eyes flickered with memories as he shook his head. "Please," he repeated.

Impatient now, Hollystar mewed, "They can stay with me, then. I won't be going into the battle unless things start to look bad. My shoulder got ripped open again." She winced as she tried to stretch the muscles of her foreleg. "Besides, I'll need a messenger."

Graystripe nodded resignedly. "Alright, that's okay, I suppose. I just don't want another of my kits to--" He cut off abruptly.

Wondering if he was thinking of his daughter, Feathertail, Hollystar nudged his shoulder with her nose. "I will keep them safe," she promised.

Graystripe let out a short purr. "Thanks." He got to his paws and leapt down the rockpile towards Millie, who was sitting near the crushed half-rock.

"Send Lionblaze in to see me!" Hollystar called after him, turning around and padding into the darkness of her den. She scraped the moss and feathers into a more comfortable shape, curling her tail around her paws as she sat down to await Lionblaze's arrival.

Pebbles rattled at the opening of the den, and Lionblaze came trotting in, his fur disheveled. He dipped his head in greeting. "Hollystar."

"Where did you and Jayfeather go?" she demanded immediately, getting right to the point. There was no use beating around the bush while precious time was already slipping away.

"We went to go get moss," he replied, a confused look on his face. "Jayfeather said that the medicine den was out of it, and it could be useful for any injuries that happen tonight."

"Hmm." Hollystar looked at him speculatively. "Tell me, what do you think of my battle plans for tonight?"

"Excellent. ThunderClan will win this battle for sure--RiverClan need to pay for what they've done." Lionblaze's eyes were unnaturally bright as he mewed the words.

Hollystar fought back a smirk. "I'm glad you think so highly of them." She got to her paws and pressed her nose to his. "You know you're still my brother, right? Together, we shall lead the second patrol and catch RiverClan from the back. From there..." She trailed off, unsheathing her claws and pressing them into the moss. She snapped her gaze back up and stared at him intently. "You're going to help me fight them. You and I will catch Leopardstar and punish her."

Lionblaze dipped his head. "Yes," he agreed. "She will suffer for taking our Clanmate."

Pleased with his words, Hollystar rubbed her flank down his, letting out a low purr. "Let's go and get ready. I've had Leafpool prepare some strengthening herbs to help us." Together, they leapt down the rockpile and into the center of the clearing. "ThunderClan! Come here for a meeting!"

The Clan gathered quickly, their pelts bristling and their eyes burning with anger. "Are we going?" someone called out.

"Soon," Hollystar reassured them. "Leafpool? Are the herbs ready?"

The light brown tabby medicine cat came padding out of her den, her mouth full of leaves. Setting them down on the ground, she mewed, "I barely had enough to get us through this battle. I sent Jayfeather out to try and find some more..."

"These will work well. Good job, Leafpool," Hollystar mewed curtly. She grabbed her own portion and walked to sit on the side, chewing the bitter leaves reluctantly.

Brambleclaw limped out of the elders' den to sit beside Hollystar. "So we go to attack RiverClan."

"Yes," she replied. "They killed Thornclaw--the other Clans think we're weak." Hollystar curled her lip as she pictured Leopardstar's dappled pelt in her mind.

"Mmm." Brambleclaw was silent for a heartbeat, before pressing his muzzle against her side. "I'm sorry about Thornclaw," he murmured. "He was a great warrior."

Hollystar closed her eyes, not able to think about him at the moment. "This battle will bring more turmoil to the forest, won't it?"

Brambleclaw hesitated, his dark tabby tail flicking behind him. "Probably," he said at last, his amber eyes narrowed in thought. "But then again, the forest won't ever see peace."

Hollystar looked up, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"The Clans have always been at war," he explained, laying down slowly on his belly. "Always fighting over prey or territory or something else. Peace is impossible."

Hollystar narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe that," she growled. "I'm going to make this better for everyone. The Clans will reach peace someday."

Brambleclaw laughed, startling her. "The Clans have only been together on one other occasion," he told her. "During the BloodClan attack. Even that truce only lasted a night." He paused, a frown on his face. "The Clans need something to focus on together to snap them out of this. All this anger and hate."

Hollystar opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Sandstorm. "How do you want us to set up here?" she asked, her green eyes calm.

"However you like. I just want two cats up there"--she flicked her tail to the top of the hollow--"so we can look out on both sides. There won't be any problems with RiverClan."

Sandstorm dipped her head, turning away to speak with Millie and Graystripe.

Hollystar got to her paws, shaking out her short black pelt. "Thank you, Brambleclaw."

Looking confused, Brambleclaw opened his mouth to reply, but Hollystar was already moving away quickly, her thoughts consumed with what he had just said. _Something to snap the Clans out of this anger and hate, _she mused. _Could I do it? _Can _I do it? _"Okay, everybody," she called. "Let's get ready to move out."

Ferncloud lead her cats up to Hollystar, a dazed look on her face. "Hollystar, what direction should we come in from?"

"ShadowClan's side." Hollystar swiped her paw through the soft sand of the hollow, making a crude outline of the lake and surrounding territories. "From ShadowClan territory, you'll head up the main stream here--that'll lead you to the camp. Don't go inside: we don't want to be trapped inside. Send a few cats--Foxclaw and Icepelt, you'll work--in front of the entrance so the guard can see. That should lure the battle forces out." She scraped a line through the ground, marking the image near the edge of WindClan territory. "Try and lead them to here. Lionblaze's patrol will catch them with their backs to the water. We'll have the advantage in the undergrowth."

Berrynose and Hazeltail padded forward to get a better look, peering around Ferncloud's shoulders.

"Blossompaw! Come here!" Hollystar looked around for Lionblaze's apprentice. The little white she-cat came trotting up, looking uncertaintly around at the older warriors.

"Yes?" she asked in a quavering voice.

"Come here, I want you to take a look at this." Hollystar stepped back to allow the apprentice to lean closer and look at the image in the sand. "Can you remember this?"

"I...I think so." Her blue eyes were narrowed as she stared. "Yes. Yes, I have it." She looked up at Hollystar.

"Will you be able to make your way through the territory from our position by WindClan's border to the other patrol's here?" She gestured towards the line in RiverClan territory.

Blossompaw hesitated, one paw in midair.

Lionblaze padded up and nuzzled her ears. "You can do it," he murmured to her. "You have a great memory and you're quick."

Looking more confident, Blossompaw nodded firmly. "It'll work."

"Excellent," Hollystar purred. "Ferncloud, take your patrol over there now. By the time you get there it should be dark enough. We'll follow behind." She looked at the small patrol, a quick feeling of fear rising in her belly. _What if this fails and they get killed? _She shook off the thoughts impatiently. "Be safe."

Ferncloud dipped her head, nudging Berrynose along when he hesitated by Honeyfern. "Let's go, now," she whispered. "We'll be waiting for you." The patrol quickly disappeared out the entrance tunnel, taking off into the darkening territory silently.

Hollystar let out the breath she didn't know she was holding, closing her eyes and wishing with every hair in her pelt and star in the sky that Thornclaw was here with her_. Thornclaw...please, give me a sign that I'm doing the right thing. Lead my paws in the right direction_. She tipped back her head and stared into the night sky, wondering which of the glittering specks was him. She closed her eyes as a cool breeze played across her face, tugging at her whiskers. "I will avenge your death," she whispered, so softly she could barely hear her own voice.

"Hollystar." Jayfeather's voice was muted as he pressed his side against hers. "Good luck. I have some herbs that will help you...with your grief--"

"No," she mewed. "I don't need anything." She buried her nose in his shoulder fur. "This will go well. I can feel it."

Lionblaze stepped up next, pressing against her other side. "This will all be over soon," he murmured, his eyes on the nursery. "Soon we'll be home."

Hollystar closed her eyes again, comforted by the presence of her brothers. _What if they die tonight? What will happen then? _Her mind whirled with doubt, and fear clutched at her throat, making it hard to breathe. "About tonight...I--"

"It will be fine." Jayfeather's voice was blunt. "But I hope that you choose the right answer, Hollystar. Revenge does things to cats--things that take them over." He flicked his ears. "We've experienced it, remember?"

Hollystar knew immediately that he was talking about Ashfur. She curled her claws into the ground, obliterating her carefully-constructed image of the Clans. "He knew what he was getting into," she snarled softly. "He knew the repercussions of his actions."

Lionblaze closed his eyes and sighed wearily. "We just don't want you to do anything you're going to regret."

"I won't regret _anything,_" she spat. Pulling abruptly away from her brothers, she let out a yowl to signal the Clan. "We're going now! Come and let us show RiverClan that they can't mess around with ThunderClan without getting our claws!"

Graystripe ran up, mewing, "Good luck. I'll take care of everything here."

"I trust you to keep the Clan safe," she replied, flicking his shoulder with her tail. "If anything happens to me--"

"Nothing will," Bumblepaw cut in, dashing up from the other side, his amber eyes wide. "I'll take care of you, Hollystar!"

Hollystar purred. "That's right. I'm keeping you and your sister, Blossompaw, with me the whole time." She looked up to lock eyes with Briarpaw; the dark brown she-cat quickly dropped her gaze resentfully. _That's what happens when you defy me, _she thought darkly.

Giving the camp on last look, Hollystar turned around and plunged into the entrance tunnel, racing through the territory with Lionblaze at her side and the rest of the patrol streaming out behind her. "We'll have to move quickly through WindClan territory," she panted. "I don't want Onestar catching us on his land so soon after he said no cats are to come there."

"If he gives us any trouble, we have more than enough cats to take care of him," Lionblaze mewed confidently. "What can he do?"

"He has Sol with him. Who knows what he's capable of?"

Lionblaze shrugged, leaping over a fallen log. "Not much with that wound I gave him. He'll be out for a while."

Hollystar frowned, but didn't argue with him. Sol's words had been on her mind for the past moon, wondering what he meant and what he could possibly teach her. Her pelt crawled to think of the loner knowing anything that she didn't. She longed to confide in Lionblaze, but after his recent attitude, she didn't think he would take her seriously.

They ran in silence for the rest of the trip, successfully evading detection by WindClan patrols. Hollystar fell back as they reached RiverClan territory, allowing the rest of the patrol to run on ahead. "Remember the plan," she hissed to Lionblaze. "Don't mess this up! This could be our only chance to fight RiverClan!"

Lionblaze nodded once, his amber eyes glittering in the light from the half moon. He opened his mouth to say something, then nodded and turned away, running through the dark forest silently as an owl in flight. The other cats followed behind until no cats were left but Hollystar and the two apprentices.

Bumblepaw was standing as straight as he could, trying to look brave, but his bristling pelt gave him away. "Maybe we could take a closer look?" he suggested. "We could hide in the bushes."

"RiverClan's camp is close to here," Blossompaw hissed. "We'll get caught. Hollystar, if we go a little farther, we can climb into on of the big willow trees from the back. They're close enough so when the battle reaches us, we'll have a perfect view."

Hollystar gave the apprentice an approving nod. "How did you know that?"

"Leafpool took me and Lionblaze with her to RiverClan to trade herbs with Mothwing once," she replied, padding alongside Hollystar quietly. "I remember from then."

Hollystar frowned, thinking back to what she was talking about. "But that was so long ago!"

Blossompaw nodded. "It was in new-leaf--the fourth day of my apprenticeship. It was one of my first apprentice tasks," she told Hollystar, her eyes gleaming.

Hollystar shook her head slowly, her mind whirling from this little kit's memory. "Astounding," she murmured to herself, following after the two apprentices. They had only gone a few fox-lengths before Bumblepaw stopped abruptly, his ears pricked.

"Someone's coming," he whispered. "Not a ThunderClan cat!"

"Quick!" Hollystar hissed, nudging him forward. "Up this tree!" Hollystar waited until the two apprentices had climbed halfway up the tree before clawing her way up as well. Perching themselves on a high, thick branch, Hollystar motioned for silence as the pawsteps grew louder.

"Leopardstar," Bumblepaw breathed, even though the cat was still out of sight. "She's injured."

"Really? You're sure?" Hollystar stared intently into his amber eyes. "How do you know that?"

"Birchfall made sure I could recognize pawsteps of a cat," he explained, his eyes locked on the pathway below. "I guess I just started doing it more often."

_These kits really are amazing, _she mused, digging her claws into the willow's bark. _StarClan chose Graystripe's first kits for a prophecy, and then makes his second litter exceptionally gifted. _She shook her head. "Is anyone with her?"

Bumblepaw concentrated hard, bunching up his face. "No, she's alone. The others are still at the camp."

"Excellent. You two stay here, do you hear me? Don't leave this tree no matter what you think you hear." She paused, then for good measure, mewed, "Look at me."

They turned toward her curiously, their pelts bristling with excitement and fear.

Looking into each of their gazes seperately, she mewed, "You're going to forget anything you're about to see--anything that you see happening between me and Leopardstar."

Their eyes unfocused, and they chorused, "Of course, Hollystar."

Feeling pleased, Hollystar turned to look back down at the pathway, where Leopardstar had just emerged. Just as Bumblepaw had said, she was injured, dragging a hind paw behind her like she couldn't use it. _She's going to get WindClan! _she realised. _She can't be allowed to get them! _Hollystar waited until the RiverClan leader was almost beneath the tree, then leapt down right in front of her.

Leopardstar recoiled, her eyes wide with shock and fear. "Hollystar! What are your cats doing on my territory?!"

Hollystar didn't answer. She slowly walked around the other leader, not moving her eyes from her.

"Answer me!" Leopardstar spat, trying to stand taller and make it seem like she wasn't injured. "Get off my territory!"

"Or what?" Hollystar demanded in a cold voice. "Will you kill me like you killed Thornclaw?"

Leopardstar's amber eyes widened. "You know that was an accident!" she gasped. "I wouldn't kill one of your warriors on purpose! The warrior code says--"

Hollystar lunged towards her, knocking the RiverClan leader's paws out from underneath her. Sinking her claws into Leopardstar's shoulders, she leaned down and snarled, "Don't tell me the warrior code! As if it deserves to be fouled by _your _lips. Give me one reason why I shouldn't rip out your throat right here and now. I assure you that none of your Clan will miss you."

Leopardstar looked like she couldn't believe her eyes. "What are you doing? I am a Clan leader and your elder! Show some respect!"

"Respect?!" The red haze of battle had fallen over Hollystar. "You demand respect from _me!? _Do you even understand what you've done to me, RiverClan rat? You've _ruined _my life! My mate is gone, my apprentice is gone, my mentor is gone..." She trailed off, her eyes narrowed. "And soon you will join them."

The RiverClan leader gasped. "You're going to...kill me?"

"You're on your last life!"

"Who told you that?" Leopardstar demanded.

"You did. Just now." Hollystar curled her claws into Leopardstar's dappled pelt, turning the golden fur scarlet. "Did you think you could escape unscathed? Did you think that ThunderClan wouldn't attack back? We didn't enter your territory, Leopardstar!"

"We found your scent!" she spat in return. "My warriors picked up scent from _your _cats!"

Hollystar tipped back her head and laughed. Returning her gaze to Leopardstar's, she chuckled, "You just don't learn, do you? My fath--_Brambleclaw _told me how you sided with Tigerstar seasons ago. You deserve to die!"

"And here I am under the claws of Tigerstar's kin," Leopardstar hissed. "Aren't StarClan hilarious? Go ahead and kill me, then. You're just like Tigerstar! You'd wade through blood to get what you wanted!"

Hollystar smirked. "You don't understand, do you, Leopardstar? Don't worry: you aren't the only one. My parents lied to their Clan about me. No, I am _not _Tigerstar's kin."

Leopardstar looked incredulous. "You're Squirrelflight's and Brambleclaw's kit!"

"No." Hollystar's voice was cold. "I'm not. My parents are Leafpool and Crowfeather of WindClan."

"Impossible," Leopardstar hissed, her eyes furious. "Why are you wasting my time with these lies?"

"They aren't lies!" Hollystar bared her teeth to the RiverClan leader. "Now you see why I must do this--why I must kill you. No cat can think they're better than me for being full-blooded. You know the truth now! I can't let you live!" Hollystar gritted her teeth as she thought about her own actions. She knew that she didn't have the guts to kill Leopardstar like she did Ashfur--she had to make it necessary.

The RiverClan leader saw where Hollystar was going. "Please," she begged, her voice no higher than a whisper. "Please. I'll keep your secret," she promised rashly. "RiverClan and ThunderClan will be allies!"

Hollystar looked down at her, disappointed. "So this is how the great Leopardstar goes out, huh? Begging and mewling like a kit." She shook her head.

"Don't kill me! I'll fight you!" Leopardstar hissed.

Hollystar laughed. "You're in no postion to fight." Inside, her belly was churning. _Can I really kill this cat? _she asked herself. _Ashfur...it was different. He was going to reveal our secret. _

Leopardstar must have seen the doubt in her eyes, because she eagerly mewed, "Do we have a deal?"

Hollystar hesitated, caught off-guard by this sudden change. She looked into the face of the cat she hated so much and felt...nothing. She pulled her claws slowly out of Leopardstar's pelt and stepped back.

Leopardstar got to her paws, her dappled pelt clotted with dust and dirt. Her eyes narrowed shrewdly. "What happens now?"

Hollystar closed her eyes. "Nothing. I can't do it. I can't kill you." She was shocked to hear the RiverClan cat laughing softly. Looking up, feeling icy calm, she saw that Leopardstar was already padding away, her back turned.

"I knew it," Leopardstar mewed, shaking her head. "You see, that's the problem with you ThunderClan cats. It comes from your kittypet blood." She flipped her head over her shoulder to glare at Hollystar. "Even if Tigerstar's blood doesn't run in your veins, Firestar's kittypet blood does. You'll always be weak--weak and pitiful. I pity you, Hollystar."

"Don't act like you're better than me," Hollystar growled, her voice low and dangerous. "I gave you your life."

Leopardstar just flicked her tail, padding away. "See you at the next Gathering. It should be an interesting one, considering your parentage. Now that I think of it, half-bloods like you shouldn't--" She cut off with a gurgled yowl, falling to the ground with Hollystar's teeth in her throat.

Hollystar closed her eyes as her mouth filled with Leopardstar's blood, biting harder until she felt her teeth meet. She pulled back, ripping the leader's throat like she did Ashfur's, feeling the leader's life come away with her fangs.

Leopardstar writhed on the ground, a dark puddle already forming around her. She gasped and wheezed on the ground, her life pulsing away with every beat of her heart. "You...you..."

"Yes, Leopardstar. I told you that I would kill you--I swore it to myself and Thornclaw. Your battle is lost. As we speak, my Clan is raiding your territory. RiverClan will be destroyed!"

"Impossible." The life was fading from Leopardstar's amber eyes as she struggled to breathe. "RiverClan won't...can't..."

Hollystar spat the blood out of her mouth contemptuously. "Don't look down on me! ThunderClan is the greatest Clan in the forest! No one will stand in our way!" Hollystar leaned down to look into Leopardstar's dim eyes. "Say hello to Tigerstar for me!"

Leopardstar curled her lip, narrowing her eyes into an expression of hate and fear as her last breath rattled through her torn throat and her spirit left her body forever.

Hollystar sat down hard, staring at her defeated enemy. _She turned her back on me, _she thought wildly. _No cat turns their backs on me. No one! _Hollystar padded up to the body and gripped Leopardstar's golden scruff, dragging the body towards the lake's shore. Hollystar deposited the limp form into the water, scrubbing at it with her paws to get rid of any scent. Leopardstar's head rolled unnaturally as Hollystar washed her own scent from it.

Getting onto the shore, Hollystar washed her own paws in the water, turning the clear surface scarlet. She extended her claws and tugged the fur from beneath them, her mind blank the whole time. It was a routine now--she knew no cat would suspect her if there was no physical evidence. She tugged her own black fur out from underneath Leopardstar's limp claws, making a hole in the muddy shore to deposit the torn hairs in.

Leaving Leopardstar's body in the water, Hollystar padded numbly back to the willow. "Come...come here," she rasped, dully surprised at how hard it was to speak.

The apprentices climbed down from the tree dutifully, their eyes focused now. "Hollystar," Blossompaw mewed tenatively, "what's wrong?"

"Was there a fight?" Bumblepaw asked, looking at the churned up earth.

Hollystar locked gazes with the both of them. "You don't see anything out of the ordinary here," she mewed, pulling her power from the recesses of her mind.

At once, the two apprentices stopped looking at their surroundings.

Too tired to be pleased, Hollystar mewed, "Blossompaw, go and tell Lionblaze to pull out. RiverClan have learned their lesson. You go, too, Bumblepaw."

The little apprentices were off at once, and Hollystar turned to sit beneath the willow, leaning back and closing her eyes. _Now I have killed two cats, _she thought. _Are you proud of me, Thornclaw? I avenged your death--but somehow, I didn't think it would be this terrible. _**I realized that there wasn't an AN down here, so just for good measure and to keep with the tradition, I'm writing these useless words. :D**

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**Oh, and The Guardian with Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher is an _amazing _movie! It has one of the most beautiful musical themes I've ever heard. I swear, if a picture is worth a thousand words, does that mean that a song is worth a thousand pictures?**

**Whoa. That was pretty deep! (Good job, Shadow!)**

**XD**

**R&R~**

**Shadow**


	24. Chapter 22

**This is a reaaaaaally long chapter. I'm on a road trip, so basically I have a lot of free time. :P I wrote this chapter in three hours, which is an unusually long time. Normally it takes me about an hour and a half to write about a 3K chapter, but I'm trying to make my chapters longer so I can reach the 100K marker faster. I've already started writing the ending chapter to this fic--I know exactly how I want it to play out. :D**

**Oh, and everyone, if you could please thank Icy (icethroat21). She gave me instructions on how to download OpenOffice, so I now have a spellchecker! -squee!- Thanks again, Icy!**

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Lionblaze crouched in the depths of a clump of reeds and waited for the signal from Icepelt. Spiderleg and Sorreltail were on either side of them, their eyes narrowed and focused on the short, smooth tunnel of rushes in front of them. The trail smelled strongly of fishy RiverClan warriors, and Lionblaze knew that it was the main entrance to the camp.

"How much longer?" Poppyfrost whispered from somewhere behind him. "We've been here for awhile..."

"Icepelt said she'd give a sign," Dustpelt mewed grumpily. "Now be quiet. Do you want to give us away to RiverClan?"

Poppyfrost looked affronted, but didn't speak to the older warrior.

Lionblaze shook his head slightly, turning back to face the tunnel just at the moment that Icepelt burst out of the undergrowth with Foxclaw hard on her paws. She let out a long, loud yowl as she ran past the entrance. "Fish-breathed crow-food eaters!"

At once, a bristling tabby tom shot out of the rushes. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "ThunderClan warriors! ThunderClan warriors in our territory!"

"Come and get us, you fox-hearted mousebrains!" Foxclaw rushed the tabby warrior, carrying him off his paws in an extraordinary tackle.

More RiverClan cats began to race out of the tunnel, giving chase to Icepelt as she took off towards the direction she came in. Now out of view, Lionblaze heard the shocked yowls of the RiverClan cats as they ran into Ferncloud, Berrynose, and Hazeltail's claws.

Leopardstar was right behind her warriors, close enough to the hiding patrol for Lionblaze to see her astonished expression. "What...?" she started, looking confused. "ThunderClan? Mistyfoot! Get things assembled here! Drive them towards ShadowClan's border!"

_Perfect, _Lionblaze thought, nearly purring at how well Hollystar's plan was turning out. _She predicted Leopardstar's movements! She's going to send her warriors this way! _"Get ready," he whispered. "They're coming here."

Squirrelflight pressed up next to him, staring at the scene in front of her with wide green eyes. "How did she know?" she asked simply, not really speaking to him. Lionblaze didn't need to ask what she meant.

With a wild yowl, Daisy plunged past the patrol, running towards the WindClan border as fast as she could. Her blue eyes were wide and terrified, her pelt on edge.

Lionblaze shot to his paws. _What is she doing? She's going to ruin everything! Hollystar told her she was on the patrol, but she didn't tell Daisy she had to fight. _As he thought, a few RiverClan warriors were already giving chase. "We have to stop them!" he hissed furiously. "Attack!" He launched himself out of the undergrowth and carried Graymist right off her paws.

Dustpelt was right beside him, catching the other tabby warrior by surprise as the RiverClan cat leapt away from Lionblaze's sneak attack. The warrior skittered away from Dustpelt, but lacked the speed needed to squirm away from his claws.

Lionblaze felt claws rake across his chest fur and looked down to see Graymist's furious gaze. "Get off of me!" she spat. "Go back and hide under the trees where you belong!" She twisted under his claws but couldn't escape.

Lionblaze sank his teeth into the loose fur at her throat and shook her, flinging her out from under his paws and into the undergrowth, where she landed with a resounding crash. Looking up, he caught the eye of Birchfall and yowled, "Daisy! Go get Daisy!"

The tabby nodded and took off in the direction the kittypet had fled.

Lionblaze turned back to Dustpelt, who was gripping the tabby warrior with unsheathed claws. "Beechfur," he spat, "where is your Clan heading? What are Leopardstar's plans?"

Beechfur was silent, glaring hatefully up at Dustpelt.

Dustpelt smirked, shaking the RiverClan cat roughly. "Well?"

"I wouldn't give my Clan away!" Beechfur hissed. "Go ahead and do your worst."

Respect gleamed in Dustpelt's eyes. Looking up to Lionblaze, he mewed, "What do we do? RiverClan are heading away towards ShadowClan now. If they team up against us, our plans will be ruined."

Lionblaze sighed, looking down at the RiverClan warrior, knowing that precious time was being wasted. "We'll have to keep him here until we launch the attack. He'll give us away otherwise."

"True. Spiderleg, come hold him down."

The black and brown tom spat angrily. "I'm not an apprentice: don't treat me like one."

Dustpelt let out an angry growl. "Show some respect to your senior warriors!"

"We don't have time to fight," Squirrelflight snapped, moving forward to sink her claws loosely into Beechfur's ruffled pelt. "I'll hold him down." She glanced up at Lionblaze. "Go on, then!"

"Right." Lionblaze gave his mother a brief nod, then plunged away towards the yowls of battle. He flicked his tail for them to slow down as they approached the back of the RiverClan patrol.

Leopardstar stood in the center of the small clearing, facing down a ragged-looking Ferncloud. "What's the meaning of this?" the dappled leader demanded. "Is this an attack behind your leader's back? I don't see her or your deputy here."

Ferncloud hissed ferociously at her, her dark eyes clouded with rage.

"No answer? I thought as much." Leopardstar stepped back, flicking her tail to her patrol. "Surround and capture them," she ordered. "We'll take them back to camp and see how much Hollystar wants their safe return."

Dustpelt let out a desperate-sounding cry low in his throat—the most helpless-looking Lionblaze had ever seen him as a RiverClan warrior roughly shoved Ferncloud. The spotted gray queen snapped at the warrior, nicking his skin enough to bleed. The warrior drew back a paw and cuffed her across the head with a resounding thud.

Dustpelt, not able to help himself any longer, let out a snarl and leapt to his mate's defense, knocking the warrior who had hit her off his paws. He pummeled at the downed RiverClan cat with unsheathed claws, his lips drawn back from his teeth.

Lionblaze followed quickly, letting out a battle cry as he sank his teeth into Mistyfoot's tail, yanking hard enough to knock her off balance and onto the ground. "Gotcha," he snarled sarcastically. "That's what you get for killing a ThunderClan warrior!"

She bared her fangs and writhed beneath his grip, spitting angrily. "I killed no one!" She caught a grip of his throat and sank her teeth in, biting hard enough to bleed.

Lionblaze let out a startled yelp, pulling away at the painful sensation. _W-what? I'm...hurt? In battle? How...how can this be? My power! _He twisted away with renewed effort, panicking as he couldn't escape Mistyfoot's hold.

The deputy, seeing his fear, redoubled her grip, using her own weight to swing herself out from underneath him and shoving him onto his back. She sank her claws into his shoulders as she worried at his throat. "I'll give you one last chance to get out," she muttered, her voice muffled by his thick fur.

"Let me go! Let me go!" he screeched, the red haze of battle not even enough to clear his head of his panic. "Let me go!"

Mistyfoot pulled back, her mouth dripping with his blood. "Get out!" she spat. "Don't come back!"

Hating himself for his weakness, Lionblaze stumbled away into the darkness of the undergrowth to hide and nurse his wounds. His breath rasped through his torn throat as he shook and panted, scenting his own fear. _How is this possible? I've never been hurt in battle before...it must be those herbs! Jayfeather did this to me! I've lost my skill! _He wanted to wail aloud with his loss.

In that same heartbeat, Squirrelflight was suddenly there at his side, nuzzling him anxiously and calling his name. "What happened?" she demanded. "What happened to you? Who did this?"

Lionblaze's head was whirling. "Misty...Mistyfoot. I...let her. This is my fault," he murmured miserably. "My fault."

Squirrelflight pressed her muzzle to his, letting out murmurs of sympathy. "Maybe you should stay here," she suggested. "Rest for a bit—try and put some herbs on that cut—then come back." She hesitated, her tail flicking from side to side. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

Lionblaze shook his head, feeling a ripple of pain course through his neck. Nothing, he thought, could be more embarrassing than sitting out a battle because you panicked _and _being accompanied by your mother. "I'll be fine," he rasped.

Squirrelflight didn't look too certain of that fact, but pressed her nose to his shoulder and left him alone in the darkness of the reeds.

Settling down on his belly, Lionblaze lifted a paw to his neck and pulled it back, seeing his normally golden fur soaked scarlet with blood. Wincing, he gingerly felt along the base of his neck until he located the wound—it was small and neat, a clean puncture to his skin. A hot flush of embarrassment flooded through him at his reaction to such a small wound.

_But I've never been wounded before, _he wanted to wail. _I thought that StarClan gave me these powers for a reason. I thought I would always have these powers... _His dream—being the great Lionstar of ThunderClan was dissipating before his eyes and there was nothing he could do. All his dreams, all his ambition, his very _being_, were all shattering around him, fragmenting into splinters that stung at his heart.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, looking up through the thick stems of the reeds toward the dark sky, where the spirits of StarClan were glittering coldly.

"You did this to me?" he whispered. "You gave me this power and then ripped it away without a second thought. You're the ones who told Jayfeather to get those herbs! He was talking to you today—you were talking to him, telling him to take my power away so you could have it back!" He exploded to his paws, his eyes narrowed. "Well you can have it! I'm going to be a great leader someday just to spite you!" he snarled. "I don't need a power to be great!"

Lionblaze's eyes whipped towards a crackling sound outside his hiding place. Thudding paws—a cat running quickly. Without a second thought, Lionblaze let out a vicious yowl and tackled the cat by sound alone, not even seeing the distinctly dappled pelt until he had the cat beneath his claws. "You!" he gasped, surprised.

Leopardstar glared up at him. "Yes. Me." She smirked. "I thought you went to hide in the bushes like an untrained apprentice." She shifted awkwardly, and Lionblaze looked down to see one of her hind paws was twisted in an unnatural way.

Lionblaze didn't rise to the bait. He looked from her to the direction she was running, sudden realization coming to him. "You're going to get WindClan."

Leopardstar bared her teeth at him and didn't answer.

Lionblaze shook her angrily. "Your Clan isn't strong enough then, huh? That must be disappointing."

"Don't talk as if you understand," she growled. "You don't know the meaning of being a leader. It's more than just adding -star to your name, you know. You have no comprehension of the responsibility needed to run a Clan."

"I know about responsibility!" he snarled against his will.

Leopardstar looked up at him through slitted eyes. "Let me tell you something, Lionblaze," she said in a muted voice. "When I was chosen to be deputy, I thought it was the greatest thing in the world—to know that one day I would be the one running RiverClan, that it would be me standing on the Great Rock at Fourtrees and telling others about RiverClan's strength and power, and it would be my duty to protect the Clan."

Not sure where she was heading, Lionblaze concentrated on glaring down at her, looking between her amber eyes and trying to keep the confusion off his face.

"Your father's brother was in my Clan," she went on. "Hawkfrost. He was a bold young cat, a natural leader." She narrowed her eyes even farther. "He was the son of Tigerstar, though, and I didn't think I could trust him. I felt the same for your father, and the same for any of his kin. Don't you understand? Tigerstar's kin don't deserve to do anything! His evil runs thick in your own veins, Lionblaze. You can't escape it."

"You can't escape it either," Lionblaze hissed. "You helped him kill members of your Clan! I know the stories!"

"I know," Leopardstar agreed wearily, surprising Lionblaze. "I have to atone for what I did. I'm not unaware of that."

"Why are you telling me this?" Lionblaze asked, unsure of what she was saying.

Leopardstar looked up at him with dull eyes. "My time is almost over," she mewed, so softly he had to lean closer to hear her. "I know it."

Lionblaze felt a wild plunge of fear in his belly. _Does she know? About Hollystar's plan? How could she? _"What makes you think that?" he hedged.

Leopardstar shook her head. "I'm not sure...but I want you to know these things before I die." She said the words so bluntly that he actually winced. "Ever since the day I saw Tigerstar, I fell for his plans—I wanted power so badly and he told me he could give it to me." She closed her eyes. "Hawkfrost had the same charisma of his father—he could lead his group of friends anywhere he wanted to." She opened her eyes suddenly, her gaze unfocused. "StarClan have a plan for you, Lionblaze."

He was shocked. "You're speaking nonsense! Why are you telling me these lies?"

"I'm not. StarClan has shared this with me," she said softly. "Yesterday I had a dream about it. I spoke with Mothwing but she wasn't sure." She locked eyes with him, the hard glint of her old spirit sparking in her eyes. "You will be a traitor to your Clan."

Lionblaze drew back quickly, releasing his hold on her dappled fur. He bared his teeth. "You're a liar!" he spat at her. "I would never betray my Clan!" He shook his head, his pelt bristling.

Leopardstar got to her paws slowly, like an old cat. Her hind paw hung awkwardly behind her, trailing the ground as she walked towards him. "You will. You will kill a cat in your own Clan. StarClan has already foreseen it—it will happen, whether you like it or not."

Lionblaze backed away, his claws unsheathed. "Don't come a step closer!" he screeched. "You aren't my leader! You can't—"

"I _can, _Lionblaze!" Leopardstar snapped. "You have Tigerstar's blood in you! You must choose! You...must choose..." Her eyes flickered behind her closed eyelids, and she wobbled to the side. "Choose...your path," she rasped. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and she looked past him, her eyes focused on something he could not see. "Goodbye, Lionblaze. We will meet again in StarClan."

Lionblaze stood aside as she walked by. "I can't let you go to WindClan!"

"I'm not going there."

"Then where are you going?" he demanded, shaking.

Leopardstar turned to look at him. "I'm going to death," she said softly, turning away from him and walking into the darkness of RiverClan territory.

Lionblaze watched her go, feeling his own blood soak through the fur of his neck. _Going...to death? She knows, _he decided grimly. _But I just don't know how it's possible._ He turned away, a tight, choking feeling clutching at his chest. _I'll kill a member of my Clan? Impossible! I wouldn't do that! Never ever! _

Daisy poked her head out from behind a rock as he approached, her eyes wide and scared. "Is it...over?" she asked tentatively. "I don't hear anymore sounds..."

"Come on," Lionblaze mewed, colder than he expected his voice to sound. "We need to go back."

"I can't!" she wailed, curling her tail around her body pitifully and reaching out with a placating forepaw. "Don't make me go!_ I can't!_"

"Come on!" He roughly shook off her paw, not looking into her pleading eyes. He couldn't stand to be touched right now—not with Leopardstar's words still ringing in his ears. "We need to get back!" he repeated insistently. "Unless you plan on sleeping in enemy territory."

Daisy's mouth hung open at his blunt words. "Lionblaze..." Her words rang with hurt.

He started walking without her, leaving her to follow him as he barged through RiverClan territory towards the ShadowClan border.

"Lionblaze!" Sorreltail called out his name, waving her tail to get his attention. "We got them! They're all gone—ran away back to their camp."

Lionblaze was vaguely surprised. He hadn't passed any warriors as he walked by the camp. "We need to go back to camp now," he mewed distantly. "Let's pass through here: Blackstar lets us if we stick to the shore." He fell into step beside Squirrelflight.

The ginger she-cat seemed to notice his unrest but didn't say anything or try to touch him. She stood by his side and mewed gently to him while he just closed his eyes and tried not to think about Leopardstar's haunting parting words.

"Welcome back," Graystripe mewed, grimly looking from battered cat to battered cat.

Lionblaze nodded blankly, walking past him without meeting eye contact.

Squirrelflight, noticing this, answered for him: "Thanks, Graystripe. We have a few injuries—Sorreltail has a torn claw, and Spiderleg cut his eye—but we mostly are alright."

Lionblaze heard them discussing the battle as if from a distance. He sat down heavily and stared at nothing. _Kill a Clanmate? Could I? Would I do it? _He closed his eyes angrily. _Of course not! She was spouting lies as usual. RiverClan always lie._

Lionblaze didn't even hear anyone come up until he was gently prodded. He raised his eyes slowly to see Cinderheart's worried blue gaze. "Are you alright?" she asked softly, her paw half-extended as if to touch him.

"Fine." He tried to mew it cheerfully, but it came out as miserable as he felt.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" She sat down beside him, her growing belly bulging out on either side of her.

Lionblaze noticed this with a prickle of happiness. "How are you feeling?"

"Huge," she muttered good-naturedly. "I swear, these kits kick like fox cubs. They're going to be just as strong as their father." She looked at him lovingly.

Lionblaze laughed lightly. "And just as beautiful as their mother," he finished.

Cinderheart leaned into him, sighing. "Something's on your mind."

"Yes," he answered truthfully. "Something that Leopardstar said."

Cinderheart looked up at his face curiously. "Oh?"

Lionblaze closed his eyes. "She told me that I'm going to be a traitor. That I'm going to kill a Clanmate."

Cinderheart gasped, shocked. "She's lying! Of course you wouldn't do that! She was just trying to lie and get out of getting beat by you."

"Maybe." Lionblaze averted his eyes, looking for Hollystar. "I'm worried...about it, though. I can't help it. She said StarClan told her."

"They told her and not Hollystar or Leafpool?" Cinderheart frowned, leaning back against Lionblaze's shoulder. "That makes no sense at all."

Lionblaze let himself be reassured by her. He rested his chin on top of her head and breathed in her comforting scent, wishing that he could be as confident as her. "I just want everything to be peaceful," he told her. "I'm tired of this fighting."

"I am, too," she sighed. "I don't want our kits growing up in such a turbulent environment." She turned her beautiful blue eyes on him. "You know?" Shock crossed her face suddenly as she looked at his neck. "You're bleeding!"

"It's just a scratch." Lionblaze was impressed by his own off-handedness, but Cinderheart glared at him.

"You need to go see Leafpool."

Looking at the hard set of her mouth, Lionblaze knew he had no choice in the matter. "Alright, alright," he agreed wearily. He got up, stretching his stiff muscles. "Let's get this over with."

Cinderheart's eyes glowed and she pressed her pelt against his. "You're being unusually good today," she noted as they padded side by side to the medicine den. "You aren't really worried about this Leopardstar thing, are you?"

"No," he meowed, not looking at her. "I'm good."

Cinderheart dashed into the medicine den before him—Lionblaze could hear her and Leafpool talking softly to each other before he ducked his head and walked in.

Leafpool looked up at him, her eyes narrowed in concentration. "You'll need some marigold on that. Jayfeather can take care of you; I'll go get the rest of the Clan." She padded out past him, giving him a friendly flick on the side with her tail. "Cinderheart, you can help me."

Cinderheart pressed her nose to Lionblaze's, then followed the medicine cat out of the den and into the clearing.

Lionblaze didn't even notice Jayfeather until he stood up, his gray pelt blending in so smoothly with the darkness of the den he was almost imperceptible. Shock crossed his face as he approached and sniffed along Lionblaze's throat. "I didn't know this would happen," he murmured.

Lionblaze had to clamp his teeth to keep a hiss from erupting from his throat. "You didn't know? Didn't StarClan tell you?"

"StarClan?" Jayfeather echoed, looking confused.

"When they told you about the dosage of herbs or whatever they were saying."

Jayfeather's face was a blank mask of panic. "You heard that?" he asked in a low voice.

"Of course!" he snapped. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I thought you were still under Hollystar's influence," he answered truthfully. "I didn't know you were listening."

''Well, I was." Lionblaze's voice was curt. "If you weren't talking to StarClan, then who _were _you talking to? Whoever it was took away my power!"

Jayfeather shook his head. "She wouldn't do that," he muttered. "It must be a fluke—a mistake or a temporary thing—"

"Whatever it was, it nearly killed me." Lionblaze stepped forward until he was right in Jayfeather's face. "Do you smell this blood? Any closer and it would have killed me."

Jayfeather winced and backed away. "I'm sorry," he mewed bluntly. "I didn't know it would happen. You know I wouldn't put you in danger on purpose. Don't be a mousebrain."

That was enough for Lionblaze. He unsheathed his claws and took a step forward, a fierce growl bubbling in his chest. "You're the one calling me a mousebrain?" he snarled. "Are you _serious? _I could have gotten killed!"

"Other cats don't have a power and did fine on their own," Jayfeather retorted. "I'm sorry that you don't have the necessary skill to keep yourself from getting a little cut."

Lionblaze shoved the medicine cat hard, sending him sprawling into a pile of leaves. Jayfeather's eyes flickered strangely as he panted, startled. "Don't take that tone with me!" Lionblaze hissed. "You don't know what it's like to be a warrior!"

Jayfeather glared at him. "I was a warrior apprentice first, remember? I know how to use my claws."

Lionblaze snarled angrily, red hazing his vision. "Yeah right," he sniped. "I doubt that. You couldn't hit a—"

Jayfeather's claws connected solidly with Lionblaze's face, sending the larger cat whirling into the side of the den.

Lionblaze raised a paw to his face and drew it back to see it spotted with blood. He looked disbelievingly back up at his brother-of-sorts to see his cold blue gaze fixed on him. Lionblaze got to his paws slowly, not believing his own eyes as Jayfeather's eyes followed him smoothly, locking on his face with frosty malice.

"Take it back," Jayfeather said simply.

"You can see." Lionblaze's voice rasped in his throat. "You can see."

"Take it back!" Jayfeather mewed more insistently, taking a step forward. "I can fight!"

Lionblaze shook his head slowly back and forth, seeing Jayfeather—_Jayfeather—_looking at him with a clear gaze. "You...how?"

Jayfeather curled his lip, but something seemed off about the movement. Lionblaze blinked hard several times, but nothing could take away what he was seeing.

It was as if a mist had fallen over Jayfeather—some kind of white fog was floating around him, only about a kittenstep about his gray pelt. The fog wrapped all around him like a second pelt, fading to black in a few spot, flowing all the way up around his face. His eyes glowed an unearthly blue—piercing Lionblaze to the very core.

_Two...cats? _Lionblaze shook his head, backing up several paces. If he squinted, he could see the second cat clearly—a black-and-white she-cat with a gristly-looking scar cutting through the smooth fur of her throat. It was she who had curled her lip, the movement looking odd against Jayfeather's underlying gray fur—he had kept his mouth shut, and his whiskers were visible under her bared teeth.

"What is this?" he demanded, not sure if he was truly awake or if this was a bizarre dream.

"I see he hasn't told anyone about me," the she-cat mewed, her voice cold and empty. "Not like I don't understand: it would be a little weird to tell someone you talk to a seasons-old cat."

Lionblaze stared, mouth agape, as the she-cat used his brother's legs to walk forward, her blue eyes shining unnaturally. "Who are you?"

Jayfeather—or Jayfeather's _body—_stopped right in front of him. "My name is Blackflower," she hissed in a startling change of voice. "I was a ShadowClan cat."

"What are you doing?" Lionblaze saw Jayfeather's mouth move underneath Blackflower's ghostly white muzzle. "Release me!"

"I can't do that, Jayfeather." Blackflower forced Jayfeather's eyes to Lionblaze again. "I thought this was what you wanted: to see. Now you can...with a little extra bonus for me."

"You can't use me!" Jayfeather snarled. "I won't let you!"

"Little kit." Blackflower's voice was harsh. "I've been using you for _moons. _Why do you think I taught you my trade? It wasn't until you actually consumed any of my herbs that I was able to gain the strength to come here—back to the real world. Not that pathetic shadow world filled with Tigerstar's and Brokenstar's tyranny."

"Tigerstar!" Lionblaze was shocked by this mysterious cat's words. "What are you..." He trailed off when he realized what she meant. "You're from Tigerstar's forest."

"It's actually Brokenstar's, but yes. I am." Blackflower forced Jayfeather into a sitting postion, her misty form clouding his entire body. "My little kit here has been such a help to me. I live in the free world now." She narrowed her eyes, her gaze burning with a feverish madness that made Lionblaze more afraid then he'd ever been before in his life. "Now I can finally avenge Silverblaze and win back my mentor's honor! ThunderClan will fall to their bellies before my power!"

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**This is what happens when you write a chapter while it's downpouring outside and you're listening to the Sweeny Todd soundtrack. Tim Burton's weirdness must have really rubbed off on me or something, because this chapter was really, really random. :P Hope you guys liked it anyway!**

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	25. Chapter 23

**So, I wrote this one pretty quickly, because my laptop was dying. All in all, I'm pretty happy how it turned out. ^_^**

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Jayfeather gritted his teeth as he felt his legs move without his consent, pulling with all his strength against the force that was moving him: _Blackflower. _"How could you do this to me? I _trusted _you!"

Blackflower sneered—Jayfeather could feel it as if he himself were making the face—and mewed, "Didn't I tell you, Jayfeather? Trust gives others the power to break you." She swept her eyes—_his _eyes—over to look at Lionblaze. "Isn't that right, handsome?"

Lionblaze looked like he was going to lose consciousness. His amber eyes were wide—Jayfeather could see the whites all the way around. "How...Jayfeather?"

"I'm here," he snarled, hearing his own voice come out strangely muffled, as if he was talking into a clump off moss. "Get off of me, Blackflower!"

"No." Her voice was amused, as if she were teasing a kit. "I'm finally going to get revenge! Do you know how long I've waited for this day? I already tried with that lame-brain Kestrelflight—"

"You've been speaking with _Kestrelflight?_" Jayfeather couldn't believe his ears. "How?"

"I told you," she snapped. "I can talk to anyone who comes in contact with me in the Dark Forest. You know all about the Trial of Claws, I presume? After all, you were there. My..._ally _and I were watching you."

"Your ally?" Lionblaze's voice was faint with shock.

Blackflower forced Jayfeather's face in his direction. "Yes. You know him, I'm sure. He's a marvelous cat. Handsome, too, though he's a ThunderClan cat."

"Ashfur!" Jayfeather snarled the name as if it was an expletive. "He's the one, isn't he? How else would you know about me being there?"

"You...you were in...Tigerstar's forest?" Lionblaze gasped.

Blackflower frowned. "We need to take this somewhere else," she muttered. "Too public here." She turned towards the entrance, squinting into the dim light as if it hurt her eyes. "We'll go into the forest. You'll come, too. Lionblaze, was it? I can see the resemblance in your family. Those amber eyes are quite memorable."

Jayfeather tugged backward, but his head was thick and fuzzy, as if he wasn't breathing. "I won't let you," he growled.

Blackflower laughed, the sound seeming to come from Jayfeather's own throat. "Won't let me," she echoed, chuckling. "Come on then." She shivered along her misty length, seeming to tug and stretch and Jayfeather's pelt. Suddenly, it felt as if he had doused himself in leaf-bare cold water. He shuddered all over as Blackflower withdrew herself into his pelt, hiding herself in his own body.

Blackflower twitched all of his limbs in turn, making sure that they were fully under her control. She padded over to the small pool in the medicine den and peered into it. Jayfeather gasped as he saw his own reflection: he looked the same as he usually did—having never actually seen himself in in the waking world—but his eyes glowed a luminous, supernatural ice blue. His jaws would have gaped if it were possible.

"Not bad," Blackflower mewed critically, twisting her head to the side. She lifted a paw to her throat, pressing against the gray fur. "It seems my scar is still here, under all this blasted ThunderClan-thick fur. Nice though—I'm glad to have a little bit of my past with me in this new body." Her words came from Jayfeather's throat and used his voice. "Though it's going to be extremely annoying to be a tom. I'm definitely still a she-cat."

Lionblaze had planted himself in front of the den, his lip curled back over his sharp teeth. "I won't let you leave! You can't have him!"

Blackflower turned to face him, Jayfeather helpless in her hawk-like grip. "Excuse me?" she asked in the dry voice Jayfeather associated with danger. "Did you say something, little kit?"

"I'm not a kit," Lionblaze snarled, "and I won't let you have my brother!"

"Your brother." Blackflower's voice bubbled up from Jayfeather's throat with bitter sarcasm. "He's nothing to you—your mother's sister's kit. Barely related."

"It doesn't matter," Lionblaze hissed. "He might not be blood, but he's my brother!"

Blackflower padded up and pressed Jayfeather's nose to Lionblaze's, looking deep into his eyes. "How do you know he feels the same way?"

Caught off-guard, Lionblaze mewed, "What?"

_No. No, I'm his brother! _Jayfeather wanted to claws this wretched she-cat to ribbons but couldn't find himself in this confusion. He tried to move his jaws, to speak and tell Lionblaze the truth, but Blackflower's grip was too strong.

"Come with me and I'll tell you."

_NO! _Jayfeather redoubled his efforts, twisting and thrashing with all his might. He felt his claws flex—a small movement that showed he could still gain control. _This is my body!_

_"Not anymore." _Jayfeather could tell it was Blackflower. "_You should have learned from your precious StarClan not to trust any big bad cat from Brokenstar's forest," _she simpered. Aloud she mewed, "Come with me, Lionblaze."

Lionblaze looked torn, and Jayfeather could see why. Blackflower was talking with _his _voice in _his _body. "Okay," he mewed firmly, looking intensely at the body of his brother. "I'll come with you."

Jayfeather could feel Blackflower's satisfaction as if it was his own. "Lead the way," she ordered. "Somewhere quiet where none of your Clan can hear us."

Lionblaze turned around and headed out into the clearing, Blackflower trotting alongside him, her eyes wide as she took in the scene. "How can you ThunderClan cats live here?" she snorted. "It's like living in a Twoleg den!"

Rosepaw, who happened to be padding by, stopped short when she heard what Blackflower had said. Her amber eyes were wide as she did a double take. "Jayfeather?"

"What?" Blackflower snapped. "Look somewhere else, little kit."

Rosepaw's mouth gaped as Blackflower brushed by her. Her amber eyes followed them all the way out of the tunnel and into the forest.

_That was low. _

_"Whatever," _Blackflower mewed unfeelingly. _"She's annoying. She's ThunderClan." _The she-cat chuckled internally. _"The words are synonymous." _

_Shut up, you stupid— _Jayfeather cut off with a wordless, soundless cry of pain as a shock coursed through him, feeling like the bite of a fox.

_"Why don't you just keep quiet?" _she suggested in a falsely-sweet voice. _"I'll take care of you later." _

_ThunderClan didn't kill Silverblaze! _Jayfeather snarled. _You told me a sickness did!_

_"A sickness caused by ThunderClan," _she snapped. _"They gave it to us! I know it! All the Clans were healthy except for them—they killed Silverblaze. They killed him! And now they all deserve to die for taking him away from me!" _

_You loved him. _

"No!" Blackflower snarled aloud, startling Lionblaze with the sudden outburst. "He was my mentor! I was a medicine cat! I followed the code and StarClan deceived me!"

"You loved him!" Jayfeather hissed through the same jaws that Blackflower had just spoke through. A bright spike of fierce happiness coursed through him as he realized he was regaining control. "You loved him and he scorned you!"

"You don't know what you're saying, you stupid little rat! You know nothing!" Blackflower twisted her head to the side, trying to drive him from his own body. "You don't know anything!"

"I know," he snarled, twisting his head the other direction, flexing his claws and preparing to rake his claws down his own pelt to get this hateful spirit out of him. "I know what you mean, Blackflower. You hated ThunderClan to take your frustration out on someone else. Because Silverblaze was a good medicine cat—he just wanted you to be his apprentice." Sudden realization struck him. "That's what you were talking about! Yellowpaw—I mean, Yellowfang and Raggedstar! They were in love and you hated it, because you knew they loved each other back."

Blackflower was baring her teeth now, shaking her head more than ever. "That's not true!" she snarled, but Jayfeather could tell she was spiraling.

Lionblaze took a step forward, his head whipping back and forth between them. "Jayfeather?" he asked in a tense voice. "Are you...there?"

"Lionblaze, don't—" Jayfeather choked off as Blackflower clamped his jaws shut. "Don't—"

But she had control again, and snarled, "Lionblaze, help me! It's me, Jayfeather!"

_No! Blackflower you...you— _"It's not true, Lionblaze! Don't believe her!"  
"That's Blackflower!" the she-cat hissed furiously. "I'm Jayfeather! It's me! You should know: I'm your own brother!"

Lionblaze's eyes were still wide, the pupils dilated. "What...Jayfeather? What do I do?"

_You won't get him, _Jayfeather hissed to Blackflower. _I won't let you. _

_"Who are you to stop me?" _she whispered in a deadly voice, and Jayfeather felt her eyes narrow.

Lionblaze took another step forward, and that's when Blackflower made her move. She yanked her spirit out of Jayfeather's body and left him in a blind, crumpled heap on the hard ground. A whooshing sound and a startled, choked off gasp confirmed his worst fears.

"Ah, much better. Although I can feel the taint of Tigerstar's blood." Blackflower's cynical tone was evident in Lionblaze's voice. "It's nothing I can't get used to." There was a paused, and Jayfeather, curled into a ball of pain on the ground, heard his brother's familiar pawsteps pad closer until they were right over him. A rough shove turned Jayfeather over onto his side.

"How is this possible? You can't have any hold over him!"

"He ate my herbs!" she hissed. "You gave them to him yourself, little Jaykit!"

"Don't! Lionblaze, fight her!" Jayfeather's cries were cut off as Lionblaze—Blackflower—slammed heavy paws into his side and sent him tumbling over the dry ground. He hit a tree trunk and gasped, arching his back against the pain. "Lion...blaze," he wheezed.

"He's gone, Jayfeather." Blackflower had padded closer, so close Jayfeather could smell Lionblaze's familiar scent, though it was tainted with a sharp smell like rotting leaves. "This is my body now."

"No!"

Jayfeather felt an almost overwhelming surge of relief at the familiar aggression of Lionblaze's response. _Silverblaze, wherever you are, please help us! Only you can stop her!_

"What is with you ThunderClan cats?" Blackflower demanded, sinking her claws into Jayfeather's shoulder. "Just give up already! It'll be so much _easier _that way!"

"I'm not going to!" Lionblaze's claws shivered slightly, and Jayfeather knew he was trying to pull away.

"I'll do what you always wanted to, Lionblaze! What dear Leopardstar told you was going to happen!" Blackflower's voice was thick with sarcasm.

"NO!"

Jayfeather had never heard Lionblaze sound so ferocious. "I _won't!_" He jerked his claws out of Jayfeather's pelt and stumbled away, his paws scraping up the dust of the ground and flinging it into Jayfeather's face. "You won't make me! It won't happen!"

Jayfeather got to his paws, his shoulder bleeding freely, and prepared to fling himself at Lionblaze and wrestle the dark-hearted she-cat—the _Raven—_from his brother's body.

"Blackpaw."

The voice seemed to stop everything in its place. Jayfeather's body froze in mid-leap, his blindness leaving so quickly it was like the flittering of a bird's wings. He whipped his head around to see the sad, drawn face of a pale silver tom. Darker tabby stripes wavered down his long-haired pelt, ending in a white-tipped tail. His green eyes glittered out of his narrow face. "Blackpaw," he repeated, "I'm so sorry I missed your naming ceremony."

Blackflower was now visible, her misty form floating a kittenstep over Lionblaze's pelt. Her blue eyes were wide and staring, as if she was watching the death of a Clanmate. "No...it's not possible." She released her hold on Lionblaze, letting him drop with a dull thud to the ground like a killed piece of prey. She slowly solidified into her usual form, the scar on her throat looking more prominent than ever against her pure white neck.

Jayfeather rushed over to his brother, pressing his nose against his flank, feeling the rise of his breathing with a numbing relief. "Thank StarClan."

Blackflower, who usually bristled at the slightest mention of StarClan, wasn't paying attention. "How...how is this possible? I _searched _for you! You weren't in StarClan!"

The tom, Silverblaze Jayfeather assumed, shook his head wearily. "You weren't looking for me," he mewed softly. "You weren't."

"I was!" Blackflower insisted, sounding younger that she looked. "StarClan hid you from me! They did this to me...made me like this. It's all _their _fault!"

But Silverblaze was slowly shaking his head. "No, Blackflower. It is no one's fault." He stepped forward to stand in front of his former apprentice, dipping his head to look into her eyes. "No one's," he repeated.

Blackflower hesitated, flicking her tail nervously. "Where have you _been?_" she mewed in a quiet voice. "I thought—"

"I have been with _you_, Blackflower. I couldn't bear to leave you alone—I couldn't." Silverblaze sighed softly, his thin sides heaving with his breath.

"You weren't in StarClan?" Jayfeather demanded, speaking for the first time.

Silverblaze looked at him for the first time, and Jayfeather could see why Blackflower had looked up to him so much. There was a measured intelligence in his clear green eyes that was comforting even though Jayfeather didn't know him. "No. I did not go to StarClan. I couldn't leave Blackpaw behind alone. I was there, silently guiding her paws. When you started to attack ThunderClan..." He shook his head at his apprentice. "I couldn't imagine what you were doing...the horror of your actions."

Lionblaze dragged himself into a sitting position, looking back and forth between the two spectral cats. "What is going on?"

Silverblaze turned his gaze on the golden warrior, sizing him up with his eyes. "ThunderClan true and true," he declared. Looking back at Jayfeather, he tilted his head. "You are not, however. You look startlingly like the leader of WindClan at my time—a she-cat named Flickerstar. Could you possibly be her kin?"

"I'm half-ThunderClan," Jayfeather spat. "But I'm nothing to WindClan. They are not my kin."

Silverblaze looked at him through half-lidded eyes. "I see," he murmured. He turned to Blackflower. "You can't remain here, Blackflower." His voice was gentle.

"I must!" she insisted, her eyes wild. "I have to avenge your death and mine! ThunderClan were the death of us both!"

Silverblaze pressed his nose to hers, and Blackflower quit her arguments immediately. "Jayfeather called me—called me by name in the darkness of his panic. It is for him that I'm here." His green gaze drifted over Jayfeather and Lionblaze. "Both of them have eaten your herbs."

Blackflower didn't look away from her mentor. "Please, Silverblaze...take me with you! Wherever you go, take me with you!" For the first time since meeting her, Jayfeather saw a flicker of emotion in her icy gaze: desperation and love.

Silverblaze gave her a swift lick over the ears and Blackflower buried her face in his chest fur. "You know what you must do, dear one."

Blackflower shut her eyes. "Yes, Silverblaze." She pulled away from him and padded up to Jayfeather, looking at him with a hard glint in her eyes. "Jayfeather, I'm so sorry," she mewed. "I used you shamelessly for my own gain. I poisoned your Clan, tainted your spirits, and made ShadowClan out to be the worst Clan in the forest. Can you forgive me?" She paused. "Please?"

Jayfeather was stunned. "You hated me! You hate ThunderClan!"

Blackflower tipped her head to the side and closed her eyes. "I thought I did. I thought I hated them for killing Silverblaze and myself, but now..." She trailed off, looking back over her shoulder at Silverblaze. "I'm...not sure. Everything is...clear."

"Clear?" Jayfeather couldn't believe his eyes. This she-cat—the _Raven, _the fear of all Clans in her day—was apologizing to him?

"Yes. You've given me what I've wanted for so, so many lonely seasons. You've brought me to Silverblaze. I'm out of the darkness...everything is clear," she repeated.

"But...Brokenstar's forest...the Darkpool..."

"The Darkpool is gone," she mewed bluntly. "As for the herbs in your storage...they're nothing but dust now." She flicked her tail, a glimmer of happiness in her blue eyes. "I'm...free."

Lionblaze padded up and pressed against Jayfeather's shoulder. "But...don't you have to go back there?"

Blackflower's eyes clouded. She turned to Silverblaze, hope in her eyes.

Silverblaze closed his green eyes, his thin face seeming more gaunt than ever. "You know to whom we must speak."

The black-and-white she-cat bared her teeth. "I refuse," she hissed.

"Then that's the end of that. You shall return to the Dark Forest and be bound there forever."

Jayfeather, feeling sorry for the she-cat, stepped forward and mewed, "We can go to the Moonpool and speak with StarClan."

Blackflower whipped around, extending her claws. "I won't speak to them!" she snarled. "I can't! I hate them! Cowards!"

Silverblaze padded forward and pressed his nose to her forehead. "So full of hate, young one," he murmured. "Release it—you will feel better."  
Blackflower turned to him incredulously. "You want me to speak with them?" she demanded. "I can't do that! They hate me!"

"We don't, my mentor." As if she had been there the whole time, Yellowfang was crouching on a fallen log, her thick tail twitching.

Blackflower turned on her faster than Jayfeather could blink, snatching her off the log and pinning her to the ground. "You," she hissed. "It's _you._"

Yellowfang didn't struggle, only stared calmly up at her mentor. "Blackflower...it's been so long. When you died, I knew you joined Brokenstar in that StarClan-forsaken forest." She narrowed her eyes shrewdly. "Why are you here now, then? To apologize? To sympathize?"

"Neither," Blackflower growled. "I'd face Brokenstar and his warriors a hundred times over before I grovel to _you._"

Jayfeather shared an uneasy glance with Lionblaze as the she-cats warred.

"I'm not asking that," Yellowfang snapped. "Why are you still here? Using your poison to kill off ThunderClan warriors again?"

Blackflower hissed in disbelief.

Silverblaze padded forward again, pressing his pelt into Blackflower's. Yellowfang followed the movement with wide orange eyes. "So you are him," she mewed simply. "The mentor of my mentor."

"Indeed. And you are her, the mate of my leader."

Yellowfang cast a quick glance towards Jayfeather, who was standing with his mouth hanging open. _She's Raggedstar's mate? What is this? _"I would love to say yes, but unfortunately..."

"He scorned you for your kit." Blackflower's voice was as cruel as twisting claws. "He loved your son more that you."

Yellowfang narrowed her eyes bitterly.

"Wait!" Jayfeather leapt forward and looked from medicine cat to medicine cat. "Don't fight! Can't you work this out another way? My mentor and I fight all the time—"

"This is not the same, kit," Blackflower hissed. "You wanted me dead," she spat at Yellowfang. "You were wishing for it."

"I can't lie and say I approved of you killing off ThunderClan cats," Yellowfang responded, "but you were my mentor. You were one of the reasons I left ShadowClan. I joined ThunderClan _knowing _that you would disapprove of my actions—knowing that you would hate me for it."

"You were right." Blackflower's voice was cold. "I watched from below as you gained their trust, joined their ranks...I couldn't believe it. You betrayed everything that was ShadowClan—everything that you _are._"

"That's where you're wrong. I am not ShadowClan. I am ThunderClan." Yellowfang said the words proudly. "I am everything that you weren't. I was light where you were dark; I was seeing where you were blind; I was learning where you were ignorant. We are opposites...we can never get along."

"You're wrong," Silverblaze said softly. "Both of you. Hatefulness on either side is wrong."

Jayfeather sat down hard, listening and intently watching Yellowfang's familiar face. _She hates her mentor, _he thought. _She won't let go of that hate._

Blackflower glared at her former apprentice. "It seems we can never agree, even after death."

Yellowfang narrowed her eyes. "You're right for once," she mewed gruffly. She stood up and stretched luxuriously. "I can't stay here any longer. Blackflower, it appears we stand at the crosspath. Which side do you take?"

Blackflower stared at Yellowfang for a long time, her blue eyes level and calm. "Whichever side you don't, apprentice."

Respect gleamed in Yellowfang's bright eyes and she barely inclined her head to the cat who had once been her mentor. "StarClan won't forgive you for your sins."

"I don't need them to," Blackflower mewed firmly. "As long as I'm with Silverblaze, StarClan will just have to accept it." She turned to her own mentor. "Will you accept me?"

Silverblaze's eyes flickered between Yellowfang and Blackflower, finally softening as he gazed at the black-and-white she-cat. "I have _always _accepted you, Blackflower."

Yellowfang watched the scene with unfathomable eyes before glancing over at Jayfeather. "I hope you've learned something from this," she said simply, and vanished.

Blackflower looked back at Jayfeather. "Thank you," she mewed, with feeling. "Thank you."

Jayfeather stared back at the she-cat. She had almost gotten him killed, poisoned his mind, and tried to kill his Clanmates, but somehow, he found a shard of respect for her. He inclined his head briefly, seeing the nod Blackflower gave him in return before she turned back to Silverblaze. The two cats touched noses tenderly again, then their forms disappeared instantly like wind blowing out a flame.

Lionblaze and Jayfeather were silent for a few heartbeats, the only sound the singing of late birds and the gentle sound of waving leaves. Jayfeather turned around to look at his brother and noticed that the world had gone black again. He felt a lump rise in his throat before he could push it down.

_So after all of that, you still couldn't give me my sight, eh, Blackflower? After all your promises and threats...nothing. You found your way at the very end—I hope that I can say the same for myself. _He felt a twinge of sadness for the missing herbs, but with the black-and-white ShadowClan cat gone, who would he ever need to speak to in that dismal forest?

"Where..." Lionblaze coughed, his voice cracking. "Where do you think they went?"

Jayfeather opened his jaws and took in scent, detecting the faint scent of ShadowClan. "I don't know," he admitted. "But wherever they are, they're together."

Lionblaze started suddenly, his voice growing insistent when he said, "She never told us about Ashfur! They were in league together the whole time! She was plotting with him to kill us—to kill _all _of ThunderClan!"

"I guess we'll never know now." Jayfeather tried to push down his fear of the dark-hearted tom and failed miserably. Whatever came next would just have to be dealt with then.

Lionblaze nodded, a shiver passing through his pelt. "Do you see things like that all the time, being a medicine cat? Dead cats arguing and feeling like you were going to die? That she-cat was inside me somehow, tugging at my heart..." He shook his head. "Well? Do you see them?"

Jayfeather couldn't hold back a laugh. "I have to say," he mewed, "that is definitely a first for me."

* * *

**So, I really hope I didn't just destroy Blackflower's awesomeness with this chapter. I'm trying to avoid all forms of Sue-ness, but I think Jayfeather's starting to drift over to that side. *-***

**R&R!**

**Shadow**


	26. Chapter 24

**Yay for updating! I have noticed that I seem to write the same things in these ANs every single time. So let's mix it up and talk about something else, shall we? And I know the exact topic! **

**The new "Avatar" movie.**

**Have you _seen _the trailer for it? They're totally making the most awesome cartoon ever written/drawn/produced and turning it into some sort of lame, B-movie martial arts movie. Haven't there been enough of those? I mean, if I want to go see a lame movie, I could always pop in the Twilight move (not like I would ever own that in the first place, but still). But this is _Avatar! _The best thing since freaking sliced bread! .**

**Thank you for reading my rant. Carry on. :D**

* * *

As the moon grew fuller in the sky, Hollystar began to dread facing RiverClan after their leader had died. No scent had been detected on either border, proving that the Clan was still too battered to attack ThunderClan back. _How can I face them knowing that I killed their leader? _Hollystar fretted. _I shouldn't have...but she deserved it. No one can mess with ThunderClan. RiverClan won't make a counterstrike now. _

She was snapped back to the present by Jayfeather trotting across her line of sight, an herb bundle in his jaws. She narrowed her eyes as she watched her brother, noting again the half-healed scars that laced the gray fur of his shoulders. Lionblaze and Jayfeather had been uncharacteristically quiet the past few sunrises—ever since the attack on RiverClan, she realized.

_Do they hate me for it? _Hollystar felt a cold chill to her belly. Her littermates were the only ones that she could trust—that she could _ever _trust. "Jayfeather!" she called, trotting up to him.

He dropped his herbs at his paws and turned to her with an irritated expression. "What do you want, Hollystar?"

Taken aback, Hollystar pressed her side into his. "I just wanted make sure your wounds were healing."

Something flickered in his pale eyes, and he dipped his head. "Thanks, Hollystar." His voice contained more warmth that usual. "They're fine. I really scraped them up on...on some brambles."

"Mm." Hollystar peered closely at her brother's face, seeing something gleaming in his blue eyes that she could not identify. "Are you—"

"Hollystar! Hollystar!" Briarpaw came flying up, her fur disheveled and her amber eyes wide. "Birchfall...he sent me...to get you," she panted. "WindClan are on the border!"

"On the border!" Hollystar echoed incredulously. "Who?"

"Onestar and a bunch of his warriors." Briarpaw nudged her leader impatiently. "Please hurry! Birchfall and Brightheart are there by themselves!"

"Right. Jayfeather, go get Lionblaze! Tell him to bring three warriors with him. Briarpaw." She turned back to the apprentice. "Show me the way to them."

"Okay!" The dark brown she-cat took off out the tunnel, with Hollystar hard on her paws.

Even with a headstart, Hollystar still overtook Briarpaw quickly. _Looks like WindClan blood is useful sometimes, _she thought darkly, her paws pounding on the hot, dry ground. "Did they look aggressive?" Hollystar called to Briarpaw.

The apprentice tilted her head to the side. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "Onestar looks so...scary."

_Scary doesn't cover it. _Hollystar could still imagine the WindClan leader's grisly wound on his face—courtesy of Lionblaze's claws. "How many with him?"

"Not many. Just him and two others."

_Excellent. Now he won't be able to launch an attack. _Hollystar felt a bubble of satisfaction in her belly at the thought of getting the best of Onestar.

"Here! Right up there!" Briarpaw dashed through a gap in the thick undergrowth, Hollystar hard on her paws.

Sharp branches tugged at Hollystar's pelt as she wrenched herself free, losing her footing on the hard shingle beneath her paws and skidding down the short slope, landing chest-high in the cool water or the stream. Gasping, Hollystar quickly waded out, shaking her fur clean of the clinging drops. She looked back up the slope to see Birchfall and Brightheart standing with the WindClan patrol looking faintly embarrassed. Brightheart's single eye gleamed with worry for her leader, while Birchfall's ears were flat against his head.

Onestar was watching with a look of scornful amusement on his ravaged face. "Glad that you could join us, Hollystar," he mewed meanly. "And with such a dramatic entrance, too."

Spitting bitter water out of her mouth, Hollystar could only just keep her fur from bristling with anger. "Greetings, Onestar. How is the prey running?" She tried to make the words as sharp as she could, narrowing her eyes when she realized that Owlwhisker—Brackenfur's murderer—was on the patrol. _Bet he chose him just because of that incident, _Hollystar thought, not sparing Weaselfur but a passing glance—he was of no importance to her.

Onestar's whiskers twitched. "You should know that better than me, Hollystar."

Caught off-guard, Hollystar mewed, "What do you mean?"

"One of my warriors came to me with a curious story. Would you like to hear it?"

Hollystar exchanged a glance with Birchfall beside her. The tabby warrior lifted his shoulders in a confused shrug.

Ignoring this, Onestar continued: "Sunclaw informed me that he had detected a certain scent on the border a few nights ago when he was out hunting. ThunderClan scent." His eye blazed with fury. "I thought I told you that none of your filthy Clan were ever allowed on my territory again! Why was one of your patrols on WindClan moorland?"

Hollystar scoffed, curling her lip. "The Clans had decided long ago that other Clans could stay within three fox-lengths of the lake, Onestar. Are you going to argue with an agreement made in the presence of StarClan?"

Onestar's gaze flickered past Hollystar, his mouth set into a strange smirk. "StarClan are not the only ones with power, you know."

Brightheart let out a sharp gasp. "What are you saying?"

Onestar's lip curled. "That's none of your business. I was just talking to myself. The point is"--he whirled to face Hollystar—"ThunderClan think they're better than others. When I said I didn't want any other Clan on my territory, you, shockingly enough, decided that you could do whatever you wanted anyway. Did you think you could get away with that? Do you think that only ThunderClan could launch attacks on RiverClan and kill off their leader?"

Hollystar's jaws dropped. "Who told you that?"

Onestar narrowed his eyes in a strange, scorching amusement. "Do you really want to know, Hollyleaf?"

Birchfall let out a hiss. "Her name is Holly_star!"_ he spat.

Onestar didn't even look at him. "Doubtless that you're bringing your warriors over here to try and threaten me," he mewed, his eyes half-slitted as if he were bored with the prospect. "Aren't you?"

Hollystar didn't respond. _How did he know about Leopardstar? Not even my own Clan knew! He must know I killed her...he needs to be silenced. _

"That's what I thought. Good thing I thought ahead, huh?" He stepped back, kinking his tail over his back and letting out a loud, ringing yowl. At once, WindClan warriors began to pour down the slope and out of the trees on either side, encircling the four ThunderClan cats. "Let's try this again, shall we, Hollystar? I've already managed to capture you before."

Hollystar's eyes widened. _That's the same night that Toadspring died! _she realized with a jolt. "I'll make you pay for that!" she snarled.

The warriors laughed around her, making the small space ring with cynicism.

"Right." Onestar looked at her through the corner of his eye. "Let's get down to the topic at paw," he mewed bluntly. "I'll give you a choice, alright? Since you trespassed on my land you need to be punished. I'm going to be charitable and give you a choice." He turned to face her directly. "You can be the leader and pick which one of your Clanmates dies. Only one will have to die."

Hollystar felt a burning rage in her belly, scorching even hotter than when she had killed Leopardstar. "You're insane!" she snarled furiously. "You can't threaten ThunderClan!"

"I believe I just did." Onestar nodded to a gray tabby warrior. "You know what to do."

The warrior nodded, whirling on Briarpaw with unsheathed claws and pinning her to the ground. The dark brown apprentice didn't cry out, but she struggled furiously, managing to rake her claws down the tom's ear, sinking her teeth into the loose fur of his throat at the same time. The tom hissed in anger, cuffing Briarpaw over the ears with a hard forepaw.

Birchfall immediately slammed the scrawny tom with both forepaws in a powerful blow, knocking the warrior onto his side. "Don't touch her!"

Briarpaw squirmed loose, her eyes wide and her fur fluffed up to twice its usual size. She dashed over and pressed herself into Hollystar's side, quivering like a wind-blown leaf.

Onestar and his warriors watched this through slitted eyes.

Hollystar flattened her ears to the side of her head, her mind whirling. _How are we supposed to get out of this? We're trapped! They'll kill us! _She twisted her head to look down at Briarpaw. _I can't let them kill anyone. None of my cats are joining StarClan today. _As she flicked her ears back up to confront Onestar, she heard a distant crackling sound and knew what she had to do. _Brilliant! _

"Well?" Onestar demanded.

"Well, I think you're a lame-brained idiot!" Hollystar meowed loudly—shockingly loud after the quiet arrival of the WindClan ambush.

Just like she had predicted, Onestar let out an angry caterwaul. "You _dare _to insult me, you mousebrain? I'm the one in control right now! _Me!_"

"Yes, with your warriors encircling my small patrol, huh? Even with the stream to your backs, you don't seem too worried." Hollystar paused, flicking her ears behind her—the crackling sound had faded. _Yes...yes, it's going to work! _"I bet you could easily lose your footing on the shingle here."

Onestar chuckled darkly. "What are you blathering on about?" he hissed. "Are you trying to talk me into surrender?"

Hollystar pretended to sigh, as if she was beaten. Birchfall and Brightheart were staring at her like they'd never seen her in their lives, but Briarpaw's eyes were clouded in intense concentration. "You're right, Onestar," she mewed wearily. "I'm not meant to be the leader of these cats."

Birchfall gasped. "Hollystar," he whispered, "what are you saying?"

"We're beaten, Birchfall," Briarpaw agreed wearily. "The best we can do it submit and hope that these ten WindClan warriors don't attack us." She raised her voice to a louder pitch than the conversation required, barely tapping Hollystar's flank with her tail.

Brightheart looked stunned. "B-but..."

Onestar stepped forward, murderous rage in his face. "You insult me in front of my warriors?"

"They already know that you're crazy," Briarpaw mewed helpfully. "Don't worry about that."

Onestar looked like he was fully ready to rip her head off. "Don't speak, kit."

Briarpaw lifted her chin. "I'm not a kit—I'm a warrior of ThunderClan. Hollystar made me a warrior sooner than usual because I was such a good apprentice. Did you see those moves I pulled?" She tilted her ears to the gray warrior, who was still licking his wounds. "I made up that move. They call me ThunderClan's Chosen."

Onestar looked from Briarpaw to Hollystar, disbelief on his twisted face. "Like I'm supposed to believe that?" he snarled, but was still looking confused.

"You don't believe me?" Briarpaw sounded shocked. "Surely you've heard about me! I gave your warriors a beating at the last battle."

"Onestar, I think I remember this she-cat." Weaselfur leaned over to whisper in his leader's ear. "She gave Emberfoot some major wounds."

"Hm." Onestar looked back up at Hollystar, a smirk on his face. "Then why don't we see if ThunderClan's Chosen bleeds like the rest of us?"

Briarpaw took a step back, shock on her face from her bluff being called.

Onestar curled his lip, revealing sharp white teeth, and took a pawstep forward.

A golden streak flew from behind him, bowling the disbelieving leader right off his paws and flinging him down the slope and into the water. The cat turned around, claws unsheathed. "Who wants some?!"

"Lionblaze!" Hollystar pressed herself against the tabby warrior's, feeling relief course through her veins. "I knew you would understand my plan."

"Well, it's hard to miss it when you basically announced it to the whole Clan." As he spoke, nearly the entirety of the ThunderClan warriors had formed a circle around the WindClan's circle, pinning the scrawny warriors down. "Do you think you could have yowled any louder?"

"Briarpaw helped out, too." Hollystar neatly sidestepped a broad-shouldered WindClan cat's attack, sending the she-cat flying backwards into a thick tangle of gorse. "She caught on quick—she's an exceptional liar."

"That's not always a good thing," Lionblaze grumbled as he gave Weaselfur a fierce bite on the shoulder. The ginger tom had no chance against Lionblaze's strength, squirming under the greater weight of the ThunderClan cat.

"Let me go!" he hissed, raking his claws down the side of Lionblaze's neck, sending rivulets of crimson blood down the golden fur.

Hollystar stopped dead. _What? He just got injured? What about his power? _A sudden realization hit her, making her belly turn to ice. _What if my power's gone ,too? StarClan, why didn't I use that power to get rid of the WindClan cats?_

Catching hold of the nearest WindClan cat—a small, delicately-boned tom—she hissed, "Get back to your camp and stay there!"

The tom—an apprentice, she assumed—nodded slightly, his eyes unfocused. "Yes, of course. Anything you say." He turned tail and trotted away, unknowing of the battle around him, stunned by Hollystar's numbing power.

_Excellent. But why doesn't Lionblaze's power work? _She slid her eyes sideways to look at the golden warrior; he had a ginger tom by the scruff and was shaking him with his powerful jaws. _He's injured...and he was injured the night of the RiverClan raid! Is his power gone for good? _

A weight slammed into her from the side, making her loose her footing. Hollystar and the WindClan cat tumbled down the slope, hissing and slashing at each other with their claws. Hollystar got a grip on the WindClan cat's pale fur, sinking her teeth into its scruff and pummeling anywhere she could reach with her hind paws.

Their combined weight crashed through the wiry grass of the border, tumbling over rocks and the flat shingles of the stream, finally slamming full into a sharply-edged boulder. All the air knocked out of her lungs, Hollystar lost her grip on the other warrior, spinning out on her side. She gasped on the ground for several heartbeats while her attacker approached. Looking up at the WindClan cat, her eyes widened in disbelief. "Owlwhisker," she rasped.

The pale tabby tom pressed his paw to her throat, constricting her air stream. He tilted his head to the side, staring down at her with a calculating look. "I remember you when you were a warrior on the border. Do you know what happened to me after that accident?"

"It wasn't an accident!" Hollystar hissed weakly, not getting enough air. "You killed him! You killed my mentor!"

Owlwhisker kept speaking, ignoring her completely. "Onestar was furious. He didn't want any trouble with ThunderClan...in those days at least." He let out a short laugh. "Not anymore it seems."

Hollystar just glared up at him hatefully. _I promised to Thornclaw I would avenge him, _she thought. _Now I'm going to avenge Brackenfur. No one will notice one less WindClan cat in the forest..._

"He didn't let me leave the camp for _moons. _He didn't want you attacking me at a Gathering and starting a Clan war." He pressed his claws against her throat gently, barely pricking the skin. "I owe you a punishment," he said softly.

Drawing her power, Hollystar spat, "Let me up!"

Owlwhisker pulled back at once, standing back a few paces. He looked down at her incredulously, looking from himself to her in a comical motion. "What?"

Getting to her paws, Hollystar sat down on her haunches, staring at the murderous tom with gleaming eyes. "Now, I want you to get on your belly."

Owlwhisker sank to his belly, his eyes slightly unfocused. "Yes. Yes."

Hollystar approached him softly, taking in his groveling form. She reached out with extended claws, the tips glittering in the dimming light. "Now I want you to beg for your life. You killed Brackenfur...admit it!"

She knew he could sense that there was no power behind the words. He stared up at her with sparking blue eyes. "I won't. It was an accident."

"It wasn't! You killed him! You broke the warrior code!"

"He was attacking me; he would have killed me. I valued my own life over his...is that a crime? Self-preservation. You're using it right now." He looked back up at her, fury barely held in check in his eyes. "Aren't you, Hollystar?"

Hollystar's paw trembled in the air. "Don't patronize me!"

"All I've done is protect my Clan! Aren't you doing that now? Do you think if you kill me, Brackenfur will come back from the dead? Do you think those cats in StarClan care a mousetail for revenge?"

"Shut up!" Hollystar sank her claws into the fur of his throat, wrenching his head back so he was forced to look at her. A single drop of blood trickled down the white fur of his throat. "You shut up!"

Owlwhisker laughed. "You think if I shut up my words will be any less true? You're consumed by revenge, aren't you? I haven't heard from ShadowClan, but I bet Tigerpaw is next." He narrowed his eyes, swallowing hard. "Isn't that right?"

Hollystar's paw was shaking hard by now. _How can he be speaking like this? One rip of my claws and he'll meet his ancestors! And yet, here he lays on the ground: mocking me. _"Don't look down on me! I'm not a kit!"

"But you're acting like one, aren't you? Threatening me like this—it's like you want to be praised. Isn't the whole reason you're doing this so your Clan can tell you what a noble leader you are? You're not Bluestar—you're not _Firestar_!"

_Can I do it? Can I really? He killed my mentor! _"Do you think I won't kill you? Is that what you think?"

Owlwhisker scoffed softly, dropping his gaze. "I know you will. So go ahead. I won't beg for my life."

Hollystar sank her claws deeper into his throat, making beads of blood bubble up. Owlwhisker winced and let out a single whimper. Hollystar bared her teeth, and using her grip on his throat, cast the WindClan cat away from her. He landed with a thump, raising a cloud of dry dust that tickled at Hollystar's throat.

Owlwhisker sat up slowly, wincing. He pressed the back of his paw to his injured throat, pulling it away to see the white fur coated almost black with blood. His eyes were shocked. "No?" he asked softly, almost to himself. "You aren't going to kill me?"

Hollystar snarled. "I didn't say that."

Owlwhisker looked blankly surprised. "I'm sorry about your mentor," he murmured. "I didn't mean to kill him. I swear it on my life." He dropped his gaze to his paws, drawing in a shaky breath.

"Like that's worth much," she spat, but her voice was weary. _Why is this happening to me?! I want to kill him so much but...I can't. Why am I so weak this way? _

"Hollystar! Hollystar!" Lionblaze came skidding down the slope, his claws making the smooth stone squeal terribly. "I was wondering where you were. I couldn't—" He cut off abruptly when he saw who was with his leader. "You. It's _you!_"

Owlwhisker still had his paw pressed against his wounds. His fur bristled along his spine as he took in the sight of Lionblaze's bloodstained claws, of his ragged pelt, of the gleam of the dying light on his bared fangs... "Don't—" he started, but was too late to avoid the crushing blow Lionblaze dealt him. It hit him squarely in the muzzle, slamming his head back at an unnatural angle. Owlwhisker collapsed silently on the ground like a blown-out flame.

Hollystar looked from her brother to the prone form of Owlwhisker on the ground, her muscles locking up with astonishment. "Did you just...?" The scene replayed itself over and over again in her mind, but she was unable to grasp the idea that Lionblaze—_Lionblaze _of all cats—had just taken the life of another warrior as easily as if he were knocking a dead leaf from his path.

Lionblaze was panting hard. Moving as if in a dream, he padded over and nudged the WindClan cat's still body. "He's not dead," Lionblaze said harshly. "He's still breathing."

Hollystar hadn't moved her eyes from the tabby fur of the warrior. "We can't just leave him here," she decided.

"Hollystar, you were going to kill him, weren't you?" There was no inflection of any emotion in his voice. It was as if he already knew the answer but didn't want to admit it to himself.

She hesitated, warring with herself. _Can I trust him? He already has lost his faith in me...I know it._ Finally, she mewed, "Yes. I was, but then..." She trailed off, twisting her head to the side, unable to keep eye contact with him.

He padded closer, peering closely into her face. "You killed Leopardstar."  
"Yes." She felt a strange falling sensation in her belly, as if she had leapt off a cliff that she couldn't return to.

"You were going to kill Owlwhisker." He kept the same dead voice as before.

Hollystar twisted her mouth, not looking at him. "Yes."

Lionblaze sat down hard. "Were...were you going to try and kill Tigerpaw, too? Your own kin?"

"He's not _my_ kin!" she spat harshly. "Only yours. And he killed Toadspring!" She could feel Lionblaze's amber gaze searing her pelt but couldn't raise her eyes to him.

"I see." They sat in silence for a few heartbeats, both of them staring at the shallow rise and fall of Owlwhisker's breathing. Finally, he broke the silence: "What are we going to do with him?"

"Leave him," she decided. "He's nothing to me—he's learned his lesson. He'll pay for his crimes one day." She got to her paws, trotting over to press her paw against Owlwhisker's muzzle, tilting it from side-to-side critically. "He should wake up soon. We should go now." She let the WindClan cat's head back

Lionblaze was slower to get up. He moved to her side quietly. "We need to talk."

"We should go somewhere else just in case he's listening." She tilted her ears to motion to the WindClan warrior. "I've been thinking about something," she continued as they moved out of earshot. "Something really important."

Lionblaze paused at a small clearing. "Like what?"

"I need you to do me a favor, actually."

Lionblaze looked surprised. "What? You were just talking about killing my kin and now you want me to do you a favor?" His fur bristled and he unsheathed his claws as if he was going to attack her.

"Yes. I know it's a lot, but please. You're the only one I can trust with this." Hollystar tried and failed to keep the nervousness and tremor out of her voice. "Please."

Lionblaze looked at her from the corners of his eyes, looking extremely shocked to hear his sister pleading with him like this. "What is it then?" he mewed finally, and Hollystar felt a pang of relief as sharp as claws course through her.

Sighing, she let out a small laugh. "This will change everything forever," she murmured, leaning closer to him. "Only you can do this, Lionblaze. Only you."

* * *

**Ah, cliffies. I really love them. Now I'm really doing some major foreshadowing here. **

**After reading the Mortal Instruments trilogy (absolutely AMAZING btw), I have the feeling that I don't put nearly enough detail into my fics. So, from now on, I shall be trying to add a bit more everywhere. Don't worry, it won't be as detailed as like a Tolkkein thing. -_-' **

**:D**

**Shadow**


	27. Chapter 25

**Gathering time~ Why is it that all my Gatherings take place from Lionblaze's point of view? I'm...not quite sure. :P**

* * *

Lionblaze pressed his pelt close to Cinderheart's as the chosen cats began padding into the center of the camp to head over to the Gathering. "I'll tell you all about it," he mewed. "You just stay here and rest."

Cinderheart glared playfully up at him. "You know the kits won't arrive for two moons or more, right?" she asked, tilting her head to one side slightly. "Stop acting like they're going to be born right now."

Lionblaze butted her shoulder with his head, letting out a short purr. "I'm sorry that I'm excited, then."

She shook her head. "Oh, Lionblaze." Suddenly her eyes clouded and she reached out to gently touch a wound on his neck with her nose. "Does it hurt?" she asked, worry thick in her voice.

"Not much, no. I haven't thought about it for a while. Not since the battle two sunrises ago." He had gotten the shallow slice from a lucky blow placed by Onestar. The WindClan leader had seen him dashing away to find Hollystar and snagged a clawful of Lionblaze's golden neck fur, cutting the skin beneath it. He let out a sharp breath at the thought of Hollystar, the words she had shared with him running through his head in an unending loop. _Did she really mean that— _He cut himself off abruptly, not wanting to ever think of what she had said. _It won't happen, _he told himself, but with each repetition, his conviction grew weaker.

A sudden rustling caught his attention, and turning, he saw Whitewing pad out of the nursery, a bundle of ginger-striped fur dangling from her jaws. The other kit followed at her paws, nearly tripping over his own as he squirmed loose of the clinging tendrils of bramble.

"Hey, Whitewing!" Lionblaze mewed cheerfully. "Your kits are getting big!"

"And strong." Her green eyes gleamed as she set down Oakkit, curling her tail protectively over the little she-kit. "Like their father."

Cinderheart leaned forward to look at Rainkit, tilting her head to the side. "Hello, Rainkit," she mewed softly.

The little tom-kit nodded to her seriously. "Hello, Cinderheart," he replied solemnly. "We're coming outside to play today. Mother said it was alright."

"Well, of course it's alright!" Cinderheart let out a short, kindly laugh. "Isn't it nice to be in the sunlight?"

"Rainkit doesn't like it," Oakkit piped up. "He'd rather stay in the den all day long."

Rainkit shot his sister a glare out of his dark blue eyes. "I do not!" he argued. "I like it out here. And one day, I'm going to be a great warrior!"

"That's right," Whitewing said firmly. "No matter what any cat says, you two are going to be warriors that ThunderClan will be proud of."

Lionblaze was surprised by the emotion behind her words. _That's a little serious for a simple chat, _he thought, but shook it off. "You'll be apprentices soon, huh?"

Oakkit sighed dramatically, flopping down on the ground and ruffling her short pelt. "Not for another three moons," she moaned sadly. "We should be apprentices _now. _I'm ready to protect the Clan and hunt and stuff!"

"There's more to the Clan than hunting," Rainkit mewed loftily. "You need to fight for the Clan. You'd rather just play all day."

"Not true!" Oakkit shot back shrilly. "I can fight!" She narrowed dark green eyes. "Why don't I show you right now?"

Rainkit was on his paws in an instant. "Bring it on, little sister!" he snarled, leaning down into a crouch.

"I'm older than you!"

"No you're not!"

Cinderheart let out a knowing purr. "Kits."

Lionblaze settled down beside her, looking confusedly at Rainkit. _He looks so familiar, _he mused. _But I can't think of why. Something about him...maybe it's because he looks like Whitewing. He's got Cloudtail's eyes, after all. _

Spiderleg limped up to him, favoring a forepaw. "Hollystar wants you up front and center," he mewed dryly, his amber eyes suspicious. "Walking by her side." From his tone, Lionblaze guessed that the black and brown tom was harboring hard feelings for not being chosen for such a special position.

_As if I would tell you anything. _"I'll be there shortly," he answered swiftly, turning back to give Cinderheart one last nuzzle across the ears.

She purred, leaning her muzzle against his for a few heartbeats, then pulling away. "I'll be waiting here for you."

Nodding, Lionblaze turned and followed Spiderleg back to the Gathering patrol, taking in all the injured cats from the battle. Brightheart had suffered some long scrapes down her flank on her blind side—courtesy of Weaselfur's claws. Birchfall and Squirrelflight had torn claws, and Briarpaw had a half-healed slice in one ear. The brown she-cat's eyes were gleaming with pride as she showed off her battle wound to her littermates, proudly declaring that she had fought Onestar in one-on-one combat.

_Someone needs to snap her out of that lying streak, _Lionblaze mused, watching the incredulous looks on Bumblepaw and Blossompaw's faces as they listened rapturously to their sister. _Then again, she really gave us extra time for our sneak attack—if Onestar hadn't been paying attention to her, there's no way we could have gotten away with it. _

"Ah, there you are, Lionblaze." Hollystar stepped away from Graystripe and padded up to him, her green eyes glittering in the moonlight. "We're just about to leave. Will you go and fetch Leafpool and Jayfeather? They're still in their den—we don't want them to miss the Gathering, now do we?" Despite her words, Lionblaze saw a look of distinct anger in her eyes as she spoke of her mother.

Not wanting to press the situation, Lionblaze hastily agreed, trotting across the clearing towards the bramble-covered medicine den, the sharp scent of herbs wreathing familiarly around him. "Leafpool, Hollystar said to..." He trailed off when he noticed the she-cat wasn't in the den.

"Yeah, that happens to me a lot these days." Jayfeather's voice was dry as he turned around from stacking herbs, his blue eyes glinting hardly in the dim light. "She's never here," he spat in frustration.

Lionblaze hesitated awkwardly in the opening. "Well...Hollystar wants you outside for the Gathering patrol."

"Alright, alright." Jayfeather heaved himself to his paws, sighing loudly. "My shoulders are still stinging from that—" He snapped off his words abruptly.

Casting one glance behind him to make sure no cat was listening, Lionblaze pressed closer to Jayfeather. "About that day—"

"I thought you would ask me about that," Jayfeather interrupted. "Hollystar can wait for a few moments. It won't kill her."

Lionblaze winced as he said the words, and was thankful that Jayfeather couldn't see his face to question him.

"Blackflower's from Brokenstar's forest. She was known as the Raven when she was alive, because she killed our past Clanmates."

"What?" Lionblaze was astonished. "You...you visited that cat and took lessons from her?"

"I know," Jayfeather mewed wearily. "I've already thought about this over and over. She promised me my sight back if I listened to her...if I took her advice. She let me use her eyes a few times."

"That's how you knew about the beavers," Lionblaze realized.

Jayfeather nodded absently. "Yes. She showed them to me—told me what they were and how they lived. She had so much knowledge, I just assumed..."

Lionblaze butted his brother's shoulder. "It's not your fault."

"I didn't say it was my fault!" he snapped in return, moving away. "I'm just saying...that's who Blackflower was."

Lionblaze felt a spark of pity for the gray tabby medicine cat. He couldn't seem to accept sympathy of any kind—not even from his own littermate. "Was she your friend?" he asked tenatively.

"No. She wasn't my friend." Jayfeather closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "She lied and tricked me—poisoned my mind against my own Clan. She was unstrustworthy until the end."

Feeling like he was leaving something out, Lionblaze asked, "Has she contacted you since then?"

"No. She's gone now—her and Silverblaze have found some sort of peace, it seems. I have no clue where they are. They haven't sent me a sign and StarClan haven't talked about it with me." He paused, then added, "Yet."

"Do you think—"

"Lionblaze!" Hollystar was right at the entrance, her eyes narrowed. "I thought I told you to come and get them, not to sit around and chat like a bunch of queens." Her green eyes raked the den. "Where's Leafpool?"

"Not here," Jayfeather answered, already walking past her to the patrol. "I haven't seen her. She's probably collecting herbs."

"I'm sure," Hollystar snarled, her voice full of sarcasm. Lionblaze could see the thoughts flickering in her eyes: _You think she's with Crowfeather. You're probably right. _

Lionblaze nudged her flank gently, mewing, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

She closed her eyes and sighed, looking seasons older with the weary gesture. "Yes. I have to." Her eyes snapped open and she stared sharply at him. "You will support me? You know my plans now—after tonight, they all take effect."

"I know. I told you I would." He turned his face away from her. "For my kits."

Hollystar flicked her tail down his flank. "I...understand." She cleared her throat. "Let's get going, then."

Padding beside her, Lionblaze carefully watched her face, seeing the way her eyes were furrowed and her tail was swishing behind her. "Are you nervous?"

"Of course not," she snapped. "I know what I'm doing." She turned her head slightly, as if making sure he was still there. "Just make sure that you don't watch."

He felt a drop in his stomach, but nodded all the same.

"The Gathering looks full tonight," Blossompaw mewed in awe, looking from cat to cat in amazement. "I've never seen so many warriors at once!"

"Well, it's your first Gathering, after all," Lionblaze mewed affectionately to his apprentice, swatting playfully at her with a forepaw. "Look there—that's Blackstar, the ShadowClan leader. There's the deputy right over there. His name's Rowanclaw."

"Wow," she breathed in return, peering closely at the two intimidating-looking cats. "They look a lot happier than the RiverClan cats." She tilted her ears to motion towards the large group of sleek-pelted RiverClan cats that were huddled together, every eye hatefully narrowed at ThunderClan. "Lionblaze?" she asked tenatively. "What will happen now that Leopardstar is dead?"

Shock, as cold as the icy water in leafbare, coursed through his veins. _We haven't told any cat about Leopardstar dying...we were going to play it off. No one but Hollystar, Jayfeather, and me even knew! _"W-what are you talking about?" he hedged.

Blossompaw looked at him in confusion, clearly wondering if she should speak. "Well...I have this funny feeling that she's dead for some reason. Someone from our Clan killed her." Her blue eyes clouded. "It was Hollystar, wasn't it?"

Lionblaze was panicking, trying to keep a cool exterior. _What can I say to that? How can I possibly dissuade her from that—the truth? How does she even know? Hollystar used her power on her! _

"Blossompaw! Blossompaw!" Bumblepaw was calling his sister. "Come over here! There's some ShadowClan cats I want you to meet!"

The tortoiseshell-speckled she-cat looked back up at Lionblaze, some uncharacteristically hard emotion glinting in her pale eyes. "That's the truth, isn't it?"

"I..." He didn't know what to say.

"Blossompaw!" Bumblepaw had stomped impatiently over to his sister and grabbed her by the scruff, forcibly pulling her towards two curious ShadowClan cats.

"Let me go, Bumblepaw!" she protested, but her brother would hear none of it, cheerily yanking her across the clearing.

Lionblaze couldn't hold back a sigh of relief. _How did she know? Hollystar's power..._A memory hit him strongly, of himself and Hollystar discussing Graystripe's kits: _His second litter is exceptionally gifted. _"Her memory," he realized. "She remembered it. This is bad!"

"Lionblaze, who are you talking to?"

Whirling, he saw with astonishment who the speaker was. "Tigerpaw!" he mewed happily. "You've grown!"

The golden tabby tom purred happily, swishing his tail. "Actually, it's Tigerheart now," he announced proudly. "I'm a warrior!"

"Congratulations!" _Wow. It seems like just yesterday that we were talking about how he wanted to be as big as me...and now he is! _"And your littermates?"

"Dawnfeather got her name, but Flamepaw still needs to work more with Littlecloud." From his tone and the set of his mouth, Lionblaze assumed that he didn't approve of his brother not getting his name.

"Well, you know," Lionblaze mewed conversationally, "Jayfeather didn't get his name when Hollystar and I did."

"Really?" Tigerheart mewed curiously. "I guess it's okay for Flamepaw not to get his name, then." He frowned again. "I guess."

Laughing, Lionblaze tried to stave off the building dread. _He doesn't know what's about to happen at all, _he thought. _I doubt we'll ever be able to chat like this again—friendly and open. _"How has the prey been running?"

"Fine, so far." Tigerheart paused, looking carefully at Lionblaze. "ThunderClan have been launching attacks all the time now, huh?"

"We're just protecting what's ours," Lionblaze replied carefully, seeing the way Tigerheart's green eyes flared with suspicion.

"They say your leader is getting her revenge on those who killed her Clanmates. Does that mean I'm next?" His words were simple, but held the tone of a challenge behind them.

The mood turned instantly. Lionblaze curled his lips back from his teeth slightly, gritting out, "That's not what we were talking about."

"I'm not an apprentice anymore, Lionblaze," he said bluntly. "I can take care of myself. Hollystar would take her vengeance out on her own kin?"

Lionblaze turned his face away, biting his tongue. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" Tigerheart stepped forward, his eyes gleaming. "Don't think I'm just going to lay down and take it." Despite his words, Lionblaze saw a flicker of fear in the green depths of his eyes.

_You'd do well to be afraid. _"I have to go," Lionblaze snapped abruptly. "We're done with this conversation."

"I won't give up!" Tigerheart called behind him. "My life means more to me than some other cat's feelings."

Lionblaze closed his eyes as the words stung at his heart—feeling to hit home more than the other golden warrior had meant. _You're right, Tigerheart. _

Mistyfoot was stalking by, a line of fur along her spine standing clear up on her back. Her lips were drawn back to expose her fangs as she clawed her way up the tree to join Blackstar and Hollystar.

_I wonder if she's gotten her name yet, _Lionblaze thought blankly, seeing the way the blue-gray she-cat stare coldly at Hollystar.

"Hey, Lionblaze," Honeyfern mewed as she padded up with Berrynose. "Mind if we join you?"

"Sure," he mewed absently, feeling the curious stares of his Clanmates trained on his back.

"This is going to be an interesting Gathering, huh?" Berrynose lifted his head to peer around the clearing. "WindClan's not even here yet."

"No," Honeyfern argued, pointing with her nose to the thick screen of gorse and bramble. "There they are now."

Sure enough, the skinny cats were prowling into the clearing, still bearing the wounds of ThunderClan claws. Lionblaze bared his teeth as he realized that Onestar was stalking down the center of the Gathering place, Ashfoot padding at one side and Sol on the other.

_He's still here? _Lionblaze thought incredulously. _Why hasn't Onestar kicked him out of the Clan yet?_

"Sorry for our lateness," Onestar mewed casually as he leapt up to a lower branch of the Great Oak. "We had a few injuries that needed fixing." He glared up at Hollystar, his tail tip twitching. "Isn't that right, Hollystar?"

"It isn't my fault if one of your own raids fails, Onestar," she replied, not even looking at him. "Maybe you should learn some tactics like you should have when you were an apprentice."

Onestar let out a shocked breath, his claws sinking into the thick bark of the tree as he tried to keep himself from flying at the black leader.

Mistyfoot watched each of the cats carefully, her blue eyes showing no emotion. "RiverClan has suffered great losses," she announced, standing taller and stepping forward. "Leopardstar is dead—killed by ThunderClan claws."

Shocked gasps filled the clearing.

"She's _dead?_" Honeyfern whispered. "How...she wasn't even there at the battle!"

"I am leader now, although I don't have my full name yet." Mistyfoot snarled up at Hollystar. "I demand for ThunderClan to explain themselves!"

Lionblaze watched Hollystar's face, knowing her enough to see through her unfeeling mask to see the fury beneath.

"ThunderClan answers to no cat," she mewed calmly. "RiverClan are not any different—ThunderClan are not your kittypets, Mistyfoot."

The RiverClan cats exploded to their paws. One, a tabby warrior, yowled out, "Murderers and fox-hearted cowards!"

Hollystar, still icy calm, simply shook her head. "The death of a leader is a tragedy, true enough. But ThunderClan aren't responsible for an accident."

Blackstar leaned back on his limb, his amber eyes gleaming with glee at seeing the other leaders argue.

Mistyfoot hissed furiously. "My leader is dead because of your wretched Clan! Have you nothing to say for yourself?"

Hollystar finally looked down at her—a mean, patronizing glance. "No," she said simply. "ThunderClan owe nothing to you or your Clan." She glanced up, searching out something in the Gathering clearing.

Seeing her cue, Lionblaze stood up silently, trying desperately to keep his legs from shaking.

"What are you doing?" Berrynose demanded. "Sit down!"

Hollystar saw him standing and nodded slightly, her eyes glittering in the full moon. "I have come to the conclusion that the Clans just simply cannot live like this. There's only one way to settle this—the Clans must join together."

The was a eerie, stunned silence. No cat even breathed in that single heartbeat of astonishment.

"You..." Mistyfoot tried and failed to find anything to say.

"You're crazy," Onestar finished. "You must be insane. Why would we willingly let our Clans join together?"

"Ah, but you're missing the point. I didn't say it had to be willingly." She stood up suddenly, and Lionblaze saw what he had to do.

Moving swiftly, he raced up to the Great Oak, clawing his way up to stand on the highest branch with Hollystar.

"You're not a leader!" Blackstar spat. "Get down from there, kit."

Taking a deep breath, Lionblaze struck out at the ShadowClan leader, leaning his full weight against the bigger cat, knocking his paws out from underneath him with a single well-placed blow. Blackstar's eyes widened in shock, teetering on his branch, before losing his grip and plummeting to the base of the tree, where he lay in a tangled lump of white and black fur. He sat up slowly, accepting Rowanclaw's shoulder to lean on, and looked up at the tree with murderous rage.

"Mousebrain!" he snarled. "I am a Clan leader!"

"Not anymore." Hollystar's voice was cold.

Mistyfoot and Onestar could only stare in astonishment. Taking advantage of this, Lionblaze dropped to the branch they were both sitting on, using his heavy weight to shake the limb enough to cast the two cats down to the ground like he did with Blackstar.

"You idiots!" Onestar snapped. "What makes you think you can do this?! Who gave you the right to do this?!"

"This means war, Hollystar," Blackstar vowed darkly. "ThunderClan will wish they had never been _born _by the time ShadowClan finishes with them." He flicked his tail to his warriors, signaling it was time for them to leave.

"The Gathering isn't over until I say so." Hollystar locked gazes with Cloudtail and Brightheart, both with dim eyes. "You know what to do."

Nodding sharply, their eyes flared with aggression as they stood in front of the fallen log, cutting off the exit path of the other Clans.

Blackstar recoiled as if a bee had stung him, baring his teeth and flattening his ears. "Rowanclaw, Scorchblaze," he ordered. "Remove them from my sight. This Gathering is over! You are a disgrace to StarClan and to the history of the Clans!"

"Hollystar, what are you doing?" Leafpool cried, stepping forward. "This isn't what StarClan would want!" Her amber eyes were pleading, _begging _for her daughter to take all her words back—to say that she meant none of it and it was all a huge mistake.

"Get down, you mousebrain," Jayfeather snarled to his sister. His eyes were wide with disbelief and rage. "Do you want to get yourself killed?"

"No!" Hollystar screeched. "You listen to me now!" She flicked Lionblaze with her tail, motioning for him to look away. Obediently, he closed his eyes just as she cried, "All Clans are mine now. You _will _support my rule! I am the only leader now...only me! You no longer have the honor of having the name -star!"

Lionblaze turned back around and saw every cat in the Gathering with the same blank, afraid look, as if they had just witnessed a terrible accident. "Yes," they intoned together, speaking in one low frightening voice. "Hollystar is the leader...the leader of the Clans."

Hollystar's eyes were half-lidded as she lifted her head. "You will all obey my orders! I am your leader now! Together, we are _all_ ThunderClan!"

Onestar—Onewhisker, Lionblaze corrected himself—came forward and dipped his head. "My Clan is yours, Hollystar," he murmured in a low voice, his eyes still dazed. "We are ThunderClan now."

"I renounce my claim to my Clan," Blackfoot muttered. "My warriors are yours." He bent his head low.

"As are mine." Mistyfoot came forward and motioned as the other two former leaders had.

"Graystripe, you were my mother's father's best friend, but you are no longer deputy. By these words, I declare Lionblaze as the new deputy of the united Clans!" Hollystar turned to him, and he could see the blazing emotion in her green eyes—so feverish that he felt a prickle of cold unease trickle down his spine.

Only Leafpool, Jayfeather, and Crowfeather remained upright. Crowfeather turned to his leader, staring with disbelieving anger at the blank look in his single eye. "Onestar, get up! You're going to take this? This isn't what you want—think about what's best for the Clan!"

"What's best is to listen to our leader." Onestar lifted his ravaged face to gaze at Hollystar. "Long live our leader, Hollystar!"

Lionblaze looked back down at the mute Clans and wondered, not for the first time, if he had chosen the correct path. Closing his eyes, he dipped his head in respect for the new supreme leader of the Clans.

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**And this, my readers, is what you call the climax. :D**

**Don't be so quick to judge Hollystar--she has reasons behind her apparent craziness. If you're quick (or have watched a lot of anime) you know exactly what I'm talking about. :P**

**R&R~**

**Shadow**


	28. Chapter 26

**Okay, so here's the deal.**

**This fic has only maybe one more real chapter and then an epilogue. I was aiming for the 100K marker, and it looks like I'mma hit it. -collective yay- I really, really enjoyed writing this fic, so I'mma come right out and say that this is going to be the last one. As in, no more Warriors fics for me anymore. It was pretty frickin' cool to write a fic like this, especially since I had never written anything like this before. So, thanks for reading/reviewing! :D**

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Jayfeather was furious. He was more angry that he ever had been before in his life--more than he thought he could ever feel. Rage dominated him, driving his paws forward and sending his brain into a frenzy of indicision and fear.

_How can they do this? Taking over the Clans like this? They're insane—the both of them! _He scratched deep gouges in the wiry grass of WindClan—no, the united Clans, now—territory, his head whirling from what had just happened. All around him, his Clanmates walked silently, not discussing what had just happened. _Well, they probably are confused about what just happened anyway. _

Leafpool trotted beside him, muttering under her breath occasionally. Jayfeather wanted to talk to her about what had just happened, but the fact that she had only caught up with the Gathering patrol after they had left irked him.

_"Sorry I'm late," she had mewed, panting hard. "I had to take care of something."_

Yeah, off seeing Crowfeather, you mean, _he had thought darkly, twisting his lips and trying not to roll his eyes. _It's not like it's against the warrior code or anything—oh, wait.

_"Are you okay?" she had asked softly, her voice sounding like the soft rustling of the dry gorse around them as the patrol made their way over the moorland. "You seem...distracted."_

_"You are, too," he accused, angry at himself for not have confronted her earlier._

_"Yes," she agreed, catching him off-guard. "Not for much longer, though."_

He must have cut off your relationship again, huh? _He closed his eyes and scoffed softly. "I'm sure."_

_"It's true, Jayfeather," she snapped, flicking her tail against his flank. "Something's going to happen tonight that will change everything."_

Jayfeather had tried to play off her words then, but after what had happened with Hollystar and Lionblaze...he knew she was up to something.

_But what is it? _His mind was filled with the thought, and even when Crowfeather had acted like he had no idea what was happening, Jayfeather _knew. _

He was in on it.

Both of them were in on something together—something that was different from what was going on with his littermates. Secrets and lies, he thought. All that was dominating the Clans were secrets and lies.

_I wish that Blackflower was here, _he thought morosely, scuffing a pebble from his path as the patrol made their way into ThunderClan territory. _She might have experienced this sometime...her or Silverblaze. _

_"We are always here, Jayfeather."_

The voice, unmistakably Silverblaze's low even tone, sounded in his ears like the screech of a hawk. He stopped dead, nearly colliding with Dustpelt behind him.

"Watch it," the warrior growled, shoving past Jayfeather to keep up with the patrol.

Jayfeather scuttled out of the way, muttering a quick apology. Leaning over to Leafpool, he murmured, "I'll be back soon."

"It's not safe for you to be out by yourself." Her voice was firm.

He let out a humorless laugh. "Who's going to attack me? The ThunderClan warriors from the _actual_ ThunderClan, or the ones from WindClan, or RiverClan—"

"I get the point," she sighed in return, brushing a forepaw down his flank. "Hurry though. I...I have some things to tell you."

A strange sense of grim happiness coursed through him at her words. _She must be going to tell me about Crowfeather. _He dipped his head and quickly trotted into the forest. As soon as the sounds of travel faded behind him, he tentatively called out, "Silverblaze?" feeling like an idiot for talking to no one.

"I am here. Look behind you."

Whirling, a sudden light pierced his eyes, making him blink. _It can't be this bright, _he reasoned, _it's after moonhigh! _

Silverblaze sat in the center of the pool of light, his gray face drawn as usual. _Why does __Blackflower find him so appealing? He looks like an elder. _

"It's nice to see that some cats are still so kind," Silverblaze mewed breezily, twitching his tail to motion for Jayfeather to move forward.

"Where's Blackflower?" Jayfeather asked as he sat next to the ancient medicine cat, trying not to think about the fact that the ShadowClan cat had just read his thoughts. "Why isn't she with you?"

"She normally is, but I asked her if I could do this alone." His pale green eyes fixed on Jayfeather's, a pondering look on his graying face. "She told me much about your visits."

"Not much of visits," Jayfeather grumbled. "More like nightmares."

To his surprise, Silverblaze let out a short laugh. "Blackflower seems like that, doesn't she? She had changed much after I passed on." His face clouded with sadness. "Almost unrecognizable."

"You didn't want her to kill my Clanmates, did you?" Jayfeather asked tentatively.

He shook his head wearily. "No, I cannot say that I would have chosen the same path as Blackflower did. But she has recanted now—she is sorry for the lives she took."

Jayfeather couldn't hold back a snort. "Do you mean she apologized to StarClan?"  
Silverblaze watched Jayfeather with a piercing gaze. "There is more to the afterlife than StarClan, young one. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Try me," Jayfeather snapped, his tail tip twitching.

"I'm not here for that. That debate is for another day." He paused, seeming to think over his words carefully. "Blackflower told me that she had given you sight upon occasion, correct?"

"Yes?"

"Well, you did me a favor in calling me to Blackflower, so I assumed that you would want something in return."

"Like what? Like my sight?" Jayfeather could barely hold back his eagerness. "Could you do that? Would you do that for me?"

Silverblaze held up a paw for silence, his eyes glittering with amusement. "Are you sure that's what you really want? Do you really want an extra sense like that?"

_Extra sense? Most cats are _born _with sight! _"Yes!" he answered, trying to keep in his excitement. "Yes, I do! Please, Silverblaze! I need this—for my Clan!"

"Hm, your reasons aren't selfish in nature?"

"Well..." Jayfeather hesitated. "Not entirely. I mean, I need to know certain things for my Clanmates...but most of all, I want to be able to see for me." He lifted his head to meet Silverblaze's clear green eyes.

Silverblaze laughed. "That's quite a diplomatic answer," he praised. "You know, every cat deserves to have a little selfishness." He tilted his head slightly to the side. "Blackflower was right about you...you really have thought this out, haven't you?"

"Yes," Jayfeather mewed firmly.

Silverblaze dropped his eyelids halfway, letting out a short purr. "Very well. But before I give you this, I want you to know that the time of lies is coming to an end—very quickly."

"What?"

"The three with the stars in their paws...you and your littermates...you had the powers to rule the Clans and those within them." Silverblaze paused, seeming to drift off into his own world for a few heartbeats. "The Three's rule on the Clans is not long-lasting. I wanted you to know that."

"I don't have any part in what they're doing," Jayfeather snapped bitterly. "They didn't trust me enough, I suppose."

Silverblaze sighed. "Young cats," he declared softly, "will never understand what's a mouse-length in front of them."

Jayfeather bared his teeth. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know," Silverblaze responded quietly. "But I wanted you to know this: some things are deceiving. You need to look beyond the obvious solution to see the inner truth."

"That sounds like a riddle," Jayfeather hissed. "Why don't you tell me straight out what you mean?"

Silverblaze only looked at him sadly, shaking his head. "You'll understand soon enough. You and your Clan will suffer a great tragedy soon enough, but the Clans will continue on." Before Jayfeather could respond, the gray ShadowClan cat had bent forward and pressed his nose between Jayfeather's eyes, breathing, "Goodbye and good luck, Jayfeather."

Jayfeather gasped as an icy cold sensation spread out from his forehead, filling his mind with a quick succession of images—darkness, clouds, leaves, frost, flames, the rustle of pelts and the gleam of moonlight on eyes. He twisted back, trying to recoil away from the vision, but something held him in place as tight as a hawk's talons. A gasp was knocked out of his lungs as he watched, through his mind's eye, as an enemy warrior leapt towards him, claws outstretched and ready to rip his fur.

Just as he went to dodge it clumsily, the vision shifted, moving to the sun-lit eyes of a she-cat with black and white fur—_Blackflower. _

_I'm seeing what Silverblaze saw...he's giving me a piece of his own sight. _

The images escalated—moon, sun, running water, mice—filling Jayfeather's brain with so much information, he thought it would just slosh out like an overrun stream.

A peaceful, numbing blankness stole through his mind as his vision went dark, the sounds of the forest returning as the roar of Silverblaze's gift receeded.

_"Open you eyes and see the world, Jayfeather,"_ Silverblaze's voice whispered through his mind. _"You have always seen more than your Clanmates...but now, you can see as they see." _

Hesitating, Jayfeather gently opened his eyes a slit, his eyes flying open as he realized he could see—could _really _see. He saw the glitter of moonlight touching the fur of his paws, setting each hair ablaze with silver fire. The leaves' familiar rustling was now accompanied by the gentle, hypnotic swaying motion as each stem bent under the warm breeze.

"I...I..." But no words could describe it...this sensation of sight. He had seen before—dozens of times before—in his dreams and StarClan-sent visions...even when Blackflower had given him temporary sight, but nothing could compare to this. "Silverblaze," he mewed, turning to thank the thin gray tom, but he was already gone.

_Thank you, _he finished silently, knowing that the former medicine cat could hear him. _Thank you._

"Jayfeather, Hollystar was looking for you!" Poppyfrost mewed, her eyes dark with worry. "She wanted to speak with you!"

"Alright, alright," he mewed, fully appreciating the she-cat's tortoiseshell pelt. He had never applied a pelt color to her—he had always pictured her with a voice like wind through leaves: soft and gentle.

Noticing his stare, Poppyfrost mewed, "Is something on your mind?"

Jolting out of his thoughts, he hastily replied, "Er, I'm just wondering what's going on." He moved quickly away before she could question him anymore. _I can't just be ogling at cats, _he chided himself. _They probably already think I'm weird enough. _

He walked carefully across the clearing, trying to keep his eyes blank and unfocused like he usually did. A pair of pale brown paws stepped in front of him, and he looked up, trying to look as if he was taking in scent.

"Do you need anymore bedding, Jayfeather?"

Letting out a sharp gasp, Jayfeather rasped, "Onestar?"

The WindClan leader's torn face was uncharacteristically placating. "It's actually Onewhisker," he responded. "Hollystar is the leader! She's a great leader!"

His jaws hanging open, Jayfeather could only stare at the once-proud leader. This...atrocity is what Hollystar could achieve with her powers, he realized. She bent the will of the fierce leader until he was as supplicating as a newly-named apprentice. "No, I don't need any bedding," he stuttered finally.

Onestar bent his head and moved away, padding over to ask Icepelt if she wanted any moss for her nest.

Not even bothering to act blind, Jayfeather took in the clearing for the first time—not even the first sight of the hollow could keep his incredulous eyes from the scene in front of him.

The former leaders—Blackstar, Mistyfoot, and Onestar—were all sitting in a circle, their eyes dull and placating as they watched the ThunderClan cats. It was so off-putting to see Blackstar—_Blackstar—_bringing a mouse over to drop at Hollystar's paws humbly, dipping his head and avoiding eye contact.

Hollystar accepted the mouse without thanks, turning immediately to speak with Lionblaze.

Fury as bitter as bile rose in Jayfeather, swamping out any remaining happiness from regaining his sight. _How can she do this? She's turned the three other leaders into kittypets! _

"Ah, Jayfeather," Hollystar greeted as he padded up. "It's nice to see you finally showing up."

"What did you do to them?" he demanded, knowing she was aware of what she was talking about.

Her eyes gleamed. "I told them their Clans were mine," she mewed firmly. "They disobeyed me...they need to know what it means to obey."

"You're insane!" he hissed furiously, looking from her to Lionblaze, confusion and frustration in his voice. "Why are you doing this? What can you possibly gain from stealing these cats' free will?"

"You can see." Hollystar's voice held no emotion.

Lionblaze stared at him like he was a spirit of StarClan. "You don't understand, Jayfeather—"

"I understand perfectly well!" Jayfeather lashed his tail angrily. "And yes, I can see, but that's not the point! The point is"—he took a deep breath to steady himself—"you think you're StarClan, but you're not."

"You're right," Hollystar agreed, her eyes hard. "I am more than StarClan."

Jayfeather was stunned into disbelieving silence.

"I have powers that they don't. I have the power to make any cat obey my will that I wish—they can't even get the Clans to agree. With a few simple words, the Clans have all fallen under my command—a feat that StarClan has never accomplished." She glared at him, her eyes frosty. "StarClan can't make cats agree—all they can do is give a simple push and pray that it goes well."

"This is crazy! You're...abusing your power! StarClan wanted—"

"It doesn't matter what they want!" she hissed, exploding to her paws. "All that matters is what I want. Get ready, brother: you're living in _my _world now. A perfect world...every cat will obey the warrior code."

"By force!"

"Doesn't matter," Hollystar cut in smoothly. "With their leaders under my control, all the Clans fall under my command. No more border fights, no more prey arguments, no more battles over worthless territory." She paused, then her tone became more insistant. "Don't you see, Jayfeather? Things will be so much more peaceful this way! A world where every kit and every warrior knows the code and follows it!"

Lionblaze closed his eyes and was silent.

Whirling on him, Jayfeather snarled, "How can you go along with this? You're traitors, the both of you!"

"Silence!" Hollystar's eyes were dangerous. "I won't be spoken to like that!"

"I can talk to you how I want," Jayfeather growled. "You're not my leader or my sister...not if you act this way! You're nothing to me!"

Hollystar flinched as if a bee had stung her. "Jayfeather—"

"Hollystar, I was wondering where you were." The familiar long, winding tail of Sol was visible as he padded into the view, swishing behind him with confident strokes. Foxclaw, who was guarding the camp entrance, followed him with a confused glance, as if he wasn't sure why he had just allowed a strange cat to enter the camp. "That display at the Gathering...remarkable." Sol's voice was conversational and pleasant, as if he was discussing the weather or the abundance of prey instead of the insane behavior of ThunderClan's leader.

"Yes, I thought you would appreciate it," she responded, the strange emotion not quite leaving her face. "It appears you predicted that as well, hm? You weren't looking."

"No, you're right." And even as he spoke, Jayfeather noticed that he kept his eyes fixed on a point just past Hollystar's shoulder. "I knew what you were going to do. It was obvious." His gaze flickered over Jayfeather and then to Lionblaze. "It appears the Three have done more than I could have ever dreamed."

"And more." Hollystar's voice was cold. "I hope you've also predicted the part where I tell you to leave my territory and never come back."

Sol looked absolutely astonished. "W-what?" he demanded in a harsh voice. "What are you saying? We had a _deal."_

"A deal with a traitor means nothing," she mewed loftily. "You are a simple loner—no more."

"Idiot!" Sol took a step forward, but Lionblaze was faster. He had the loner on his back and pinned before Jayfeather could even blink. "Get off me! Do you know who I am?"

"Do you know who _I _am, loner?" Hollystar demanded. "Leave my territory willingly or you will leave by force. I have no need of another useless mouth to feed."

Sol's lips curled back over his sharp teeth. "No!" he spat. "I won't accept this! I promised you a long time ago that I would help you out—"

"And look how well that turned out," Lionblaze finished resentfully. "You're just a kittypet. A soft-pawed kittypet."

Sol's fur was brislting, and he turned to plead with Jayfeather. "The sun disappearing...I predicted that! I can help you!"

Hollystar padded forward and pressed her paw to his throat, silencing him. "You foul bottom-feeder," she mewed caustically. "I told you to leave my territory. I'm used to my orders being followed."

"But not by your brothers," Sol rasped. "Not by your kin, Hollystar! You are a daughter of WindClan, aren't you?"

Hollystar curled her lip, but Jayfeather saw her eyes flash with wild anger. "Shut up!" she snarled, curling her claws just enough to turn the white throat fur of the loner scarlet. "I'm giving you three heartbeats to get your miserable crow-food-eating self out of here before I let my warriors chase you down like the cowardly mouse you are." She stepped back, wiping her bloody claws on the soft sand of the hollow.

Sol got unsteadily to his paws, his eyes dilated with unspoken fear. "Very well," he growled. "But know this, Hollystar: you will pay for this."

Hollystar bared her teeth, launching herself at Sol. She sank her fangs into his shoulder, worrying the long-haired pelt and raking her claws down his pelt. Sol yowled in shock, yanking himself away from her teeth, his back arched and his eyes wide with astonishment. "You...you dare—"

Hollystar stepped forward with a loud, fierce yowl. "I dare to attack you, Sol? A simple loner who happened to pick up some random knowledge? You think you're a hero? You think you're a leader?" She chuckled darkly. "Think again!"

"And what about Ashfur?" he hissed. "I've seen him! He's in the forest of darkness. Aren't you afraid of him?"

"I'm afraid of no cat! Ashfur is dead and gone—he is no threat to me now."

Jayfeather felt a thrill of fear at Sol's mention of the dark-hearted former warrior. Those burning dark blue eyes still haunted his dreams, tormenting his mind with the feeling of being hunted.

"Don't be so sure," Sol murmured. "You might want to ask your precious StarClan about _that._"

"I don't speak with StarClan. I don't speak to anyone. This is my Clan and I will rule it how _I _like—not like some dead cats want. The warrior code was nearly destroyed and StarClan did nothing to save it. Why would I go and take advice from those sorts of cats?" Hollystar's questions were filled with cynicism and some other emotion that Jayfeather couldn't place.

"Your words about StarClan are true," Sol admitted, "but what about other options?"

_He's talking about Brokenstar's forest! _Jayfeather nearly snarled aloud at the causal mention of the evil place. _He wants to get Hollystar there, too! It's just like he did with Onestar: tricking her into getting her lives taken. _

"I don't need any help from you." Hollystar turned to Lionblaze and nodded. The golden tabby bared his teeth, crouching low and letting out a threatening hiss as he pressed forward towards Sol.

Seeing the aggression on Lionblaze's face, Sol began to slowly back away. "This isn't over!" he hissed, turning tail and fleeing out the camp entrance with his tail tucked low against his belly. The gorse rattled behind him from the quick pace of his passage.

Hollystar, panting hard, turned to Jayfeather with blazing eyes. "Well? After that, do you still not trust me?"

"I'll never trust you again," he snarled, already moving away from her and Lionblaze. "You're a monster! From this day forth, you two are my enemies."

Hollystar's face didn't change as he flung the hateful words at her. She was as immobile as stone.

Lionblaze opened his mouth to reply, then silently closed it and inclined his head slightly, as if he knew that no words could possibly explain himself.

_You're right, Lionblaze, _Jayfeather thought darkly. _We're enemies, you and I. Nothing will ever make me forgive you or Hollystar...you're both dead to me. _

**Dun, dun, DUN! What a cliche ending, huh? I thought it was appropriate, though, so whatever! **

**Y'know, I never really liked those kind of fics where Jayfeather regained his sight, because I thought it was really kinda one of those things that everyone does, you know? . I always seem to do so many cliche things with my fics! It's really quite irritating. ^^**

**But then again, I also made Onestar pretty freaking evil-looking in this fic, while I actually think he's a better leader than the Head Stu himself, Firestar. :P What can you do?**

**R&R~**

**Shadow**

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	29. Chapter 27

**Aww, this fic is almost over! Just this chapter and one more, then a short little epilogue-thingy. This was quite an odd chapter to write for me, but I really, really like the way it came out. I put a couple direct quotes from the anime I based this off of in here--if you guys are familiar with it, you might be able to pick them out. Although, none of you probably know what anime I'm talking about anyway. :P**

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Two moons and more had passed since Hollystar had declared that she was the ultimate leader of the Clans. Lionblaze had stood by her, executing her will over the new cats of the united Clans. The ThunderClan camp was bustling with activity, cats running all over the wide open space. As Lionblaze watched, a group of former WindClan cats came forward with their mouths full of prey—rabbits and small shrews that were common on the moorland—and dipped their heads politely.

Weaselfur came forward, his eyes dim as he mewed, "The daily amount for the Leader."

Lionblaze's eyes hardened. "Thank you," he mewed stiffly. "Put it with the rest."

Weaselfur dipped his head again. "Of course, Deputy. I'm sorry for angering you." He flicked his ginger tail to the rest of the lank-pelted patrol, leading them over to the large pile of fresh-kill in the center of the camp. Dropping the limp bodies on the pile, they turned and trotted over to the side of the hollow, where they sat awkwardly, not making eye contact with the others.

Lionblaze carefully watched one of the cats—Willowclaw, he remembered—carefully to make sure she didn't show any signs of defying the new code that Hollystar had set down. _She wasn't at the Gathering, so she didn't get the dose of Hollystar's power. She could be plotting against the Clan! _But the gray tabby showed no sign of any sort of uprising—on the contrary, she had the same beaten look as the rest of those who had not attended the Gathering: the look of one whose world had come crashing down around them.

Closing his eyes against the image, Lionblaze crouched down on his belly and sighed, content for the moment. He winced as the motion pulled at the half-healed scars down his side from an attempted attack from a group of rogue ShadowClan cats led by a she-cat named Whitewater. Lionblaze himself had taken care of most of them, leaving them wounded enough to be taken into custody and punished by Hollystar herself, but some of them had escaped into the outer bounds of the forest.

_The Tribe won't take them in—they won't help them either. _Lionblaze opened his eyes as the sound of pawsteps ruffled his ear fur. Looking up, he saw the familiar gray pelt of Jayfeather. "Hey—"

"Don't speak," Jayfeather cut him off. "I've come to tell you I'm leaving. Both Leafpool and I."

Stunned, Lionblaze stuttered, "You can't. I won't let you and neither will Hollystar!"

"This isn't my Clan anymore," he replied bluntly. "There's nothing for me here any longer. I'm leaving now, but I wanted to tell at least _you _goodbye."

Lionblaze got to his paws, staring at this cat—his _brother—_incredulously. "Where will you go?"

"To the mountains maybe, or perhaps to the old territories." He scoffed, tossing his head. "Maybe I'll go and become a kittypet. Anything's better than this." He waved his tail, motioning to the Clan behind him—a bizarre and unnatural mixture of every Clan.

"No!" Lionblaze got to his paws. "You have to understand, Jayfeather," he pleaded. "This isn't what it looks like!"

"Then tell me what it is!" Jayfeather hissed, his eyes narrowed furiously. "Because this sure looks like a crazy take-over of the Clans!"

Lionblaze hesistated, locking his amber eyes with his brother's icy blue one. "I...I can't tell you."

"What?" Jayfeather's eyes widened. "You...you can't tell me? I'm your brother, aren't I?"

"You're still our brother, Jayfeather." Hollystar padded out of the darkness of her den, leaping down the rockpile with the ease of long practice. "And that being said, let me be clear in saying you won't be leaving ThunderClan." Her eyes were as cool as ice in leafbare.

"You can't tell me what to do, remember? You can't twist my free will like you did with him!" He lashing his tail disdainfully in Lionblaze's direction. "I have StarClan powers, too!"

"Do you, Jayfeather? Do you _really?_"

Lionblaze was caught off-guard by the question. _How could he have...the herbs! The herbs may have made him lose his powers, too!_

Jayfeather glared at her. "What are you saying? You think I can't walk in dreams or know thoughts anymore? Well, you're wrong."

"Am I? If that was true, wouldn't you have predicted my plans?"

Jayfeather's jaws gaped. "W-what—" He paused, his eyes clouding as he tried fruitlessly to read Hollystar's mind.

"That's right," she snapped. "I'm right again—you can't use your powers anymore. Only mine are left...that proves that StarClan wants me to use mine for the good of the Clan. It's a sign."

"It's not!" Jayfeather snarled, baring his teeth.

"Are you going to fight me?" Hollystar asked dryly. "Go ahead. Just try. I think you'll find Lionblaze won't let that stand." She tilted her head. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes," he agreed quickly, moving to stand beside her shoulder. "You won't hurt Hollystar, Jayfeather. It's...it's not possible."

Jayfeather stared from Hollystar to Lionblaze, his eyes narrowed and his teeth gritted. "You've changed...gone over to the same side as Onestar, isn't that right? Have you seen the dark forest?"

Lionblaze started, looking over at her, panicking.

"I have seen it," Hollystar mewed loftily. "But I have never been. Moons ago, StarClan sent me a vision of a murky pool and glowing fungus. I didn't know what it meant, until Lionblaze filled me in on some things."

"What?!" Jayfeather snapped, snarling at Lionblaze. "You told her?"

Lionblaze was confused, looking at Hollystar. "I didn't—" But she cut him off smoothly, her fur bristling.

"Take him, Lionblaze. Put him in the shallow cave by the rockpile," she ordered. "He clearly has been going behind StarClan's back."

"What makes you think that?" he hedged, not wanting to harm his brother.

"He knows of Tigerstar's forest," she scoffed. "Only leaders should know of that place. He has obviously been there."

"There's no evidence of that!" Jayfeather hissed.

"More than enough for me," Hollystar snapped. "Take him!"

Lionblaze moved forward dutifully, standing next to Jayfeather, prepared to grab his scruff if necessary.

"Rowanclaw, Beechfur," Hollystar called. "Come over here and guard our new prisoner."

"Of course, Leader." The two toms, once in different Clans but now united under the new code, moved forward in disconcertingly identical movements, taking Jayfeather by the back of the neck and forcing him across the clearing and into a small cave on the side of the camp. They perched in front of it, their eyes locked on their prey inside.

"Let me out! Traitors!" Jayfeather yowled, but to no avail. Most of the cats in the camp were at the Gathering and bound to obey Hollystar's will or they were too frightened to do anything to help their Clanmate.

"Get Leafpool, too." Hollystar nodded towards the medicine den. "Keep her inside there. Get Pouncetail or Emberfoot or another cat to guard the entrance."

"Alright." Lionblaze turned away to seek out the cats she spoke of, but she quickly called him back.

"Wait a heartbeat. I want you to gather the rest of the Clan for my big meeting tonight. It will be just before sunset."

Looking up into the sky, Lionblaze saw with some surprise that it wasn't too long until sunset already. "How are we supposed to—"

"Send a few cats to the camps," she interrupted, her pelt bristling. "You can do that, right?"

Resisting the urge to curl his lip, he nodded and walked away towards a cluster of WindClan cats—Onestar, Ashfoot, and Sunclaw. "I want you three to go to each separate camp and bring every cat here. Hollystar has called for a meeting."

"Of course, if it is the Leader's word," Ashfoot mewed, dipping her head. "I'll take ShadowClan. Sunclaw, do you want RiverClan? Onestar can go to WindClan."

Lionblaze narrowed his eyes. "Actually, I want Sunclaw to go to WindClan. You can go to RiverClan in his stead, Onestar." _It'd be just like you to try and launch a sneak attack. I bet you weren't watching when Hollystar used the power at the Gathering._

"That works for me." He got to his paws, shaking out his pelt. "Who's at WindClan right now?"

"Spiderleg," Lionblaze answered. "Tell him it's Hollystar's word."

The cats moved off, and Lionblaze seriously questioned Hollystar's choice of what she called "camp leaders." Spiderleg was in charge of WindClan, Brightheart of RiverClan, and Dustpelt of ShadowClan—all elder warriors who could watch over the cats and make sure that Hollystar's word was being followed.

"Hey, Cloudtail," he called. "You and Foxclaw can guard the medicine den. Make sure she doesn't come out until the meeting."

The white warrior nodded. "The code has to be kept," he mewed fiercely, flicking his tail down Lionblaze's flank as he passed.

Lionblaze watched him go, a sinking feeling in his belly. He shook his head to clear such dismal thoughts, padding over to the nursery to see Cinderheart.

The warm den was filled with the scents of all the Clans. Cinderheart—plump as a well-fed rabbit—was sleeping side by side with Heathertail and her single kit, with a ShadowClan queen, Ivytail, on her other side. Two RiverClan queens were curled up in the corner, their litters not born yet.

Seeing Cinderheart was asleep and he had no desire to look at Heathertail or her ratty kit, he turned to Ivytail. "How are your kits?" he asked kindly.

Her green eyes narrowed with hatred. "Fine, thanks," she snapped. "Do you just want me to rename them Hollykit and Thunderkit? Will that fit the new code?"

"Don't let them hear you," one of the RiverClan queens begged. "You saw what happened to Frostfoot, didn't you?"

Ivytail turned her face away, taking in a deep breath.

Lionblaze turned to the queen with bared teeth. "Silence, water-rat," he spat, working hard to sound as mean as he could. "Do you want to be next?"

Silence blanketed the den.

"That's what I thought." He padded past them, feeling them quiver as he trotted by, and stopped next to Cinderheart.

The gray queen was awake now, but her eyes were dim. "Lionblaze," she mewed dully.

"How are you?" He looked into her face worriedly. "Are you fine? Do you hurt?"

Cinderheart's blue eyes blazed. "If you must know, dear mate, I do hurt."

"Where? I can go get Leafpool..."

"No. My heart hurts."

That stopped Lionblaze dead. "Your...heart?"

"How can you do this?" she exploded. "To the Clan? To me?" She paused, taking in a shaky breath. "How can our kits grow up happy in this world? Hollystar...she's nothing to me anymore. I hate her." She bared her teeth. "There. I said it. Go ahead then—punish me."

"You know I can't do that," he responded sadly.

"What do I need to say, then?" she demanded. "I hate Hollystar? I hate ThunderClan?" She closed her eyes. "I hate you?"

"Cinderheart, please," he begged. "Please...this isn't what you think it is. This isn't...this isn't real! You _know_ me! This isn't me!"

"No. It's not. I don't know who you are now, Lionblaze, but you aren't going to be the father of my kits."

Lionblaze thought the world was crashing down around his paws. "Don't say that...please, don't say that!"

But Cinderheart's face had shut down, and she turned her head away from him sharply.

"No...Cinderheart, I love you," he whispered. "I wouldn't hurt you...I love you."

She didn't turn around.

His eyes hardened, and he got to his paws. "Is this how it's going to be? Fine, then. I hope you enjoy disappointment." He turned around and left without a word, feeling the sharp, wrenching pain of his heart breaking into fragments. His eyes closed automatically as he drew in a shaky breath, nearly falling on his side with the strength of it.

"Hey! Watch it!" A cat snapped as Lionblaze nearly crashed into him. "Oh...Deputy, I didn't see you. Please, forgive me!"

Lionblaze looked, not really interested, but was shocked to see Breezepelt. The tom's words were bitterly sarcastic. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting Splashkit. Is that allowed?" he asked, fake-concerned. "Do I need to check in with Hollystar to visit my own daughter?"

A dull spark of surprise hit his belly. "You're the father?" he asked distantly.

"That's not on the record, huh?" Breezepelt shoved past him rudely, entering the nursery without a backward glance.

_I should report him, _he thought vaguely, then dismissed the idea. _It's not that big of an infraction, and the rest of the Clans should be here soon. I just hope...that the plan goes alright. _

"May all the cats of the united Clans join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Hollystar sounded the yowl, her claws dug into the rough surface of the rock beneath her paws. The fading sun was behind her, casting her black fur in a halo of golden light. Lionblaze was sitting just below the rock, close enough to stop any sort of attack on her life.

There was almost no room in the camp, every spot taken by a cat from the other Clans. Lionblaze saw Reedwhisker and Rowanclaw, Willowclaw and Honeyfern, Weaselfur and Berrynose, sitting side by side as if they were littermates—an image that was highly unnatural.

"As you well know," Hollystar started, lifting her head high, "the united Clans have been together for two moons now—quite an accomplishment. I'd like to think that our ancestors would be glad to see that we had managed peace between cats."

"Peace isn't the same as total obedience," a cat grumbled from somewhere behind Lionblaze. He whipped around and curled his lip, seeing the shocked and frightened faces of the cats move back away from him.

Hollystar continued as if she hadn't heard the interruption. "Yes, I think that out ancestors would be proud of our accomplishments. I would like to take this time for our camp leaders to report on the last moon's status." Her eyes raked the cats below, searching out her chosen cats. "Brightheart? How has the former RiverClan been?"

The ginger-and-white she-cat stepped forward, moving through the pressing ranks of cats until she stood next to Lionblaze below the Highledge. "There have been a few minor problems," she mewed softly, her eye glinting. "But nothing that we couldn't handle."

"Like what?" Hollystar demanded softly.

Brightheart looked edgy, her pelt bristling. "Well, we had three warriors who decided that they were going to try and...er..."

"Take over command?" Hollystar was on her paws now, her voice raised. "To destroy the warrior code that we all want to keep in effect?" Her claws curled into the stone, sending small chips scattering down on Lionblaze's head. "Is there any cat here who doesn't want the code to be preserved?"

There was an uneasy silence, and Lionblaze saw several cats shift uncomfortably.

"Well, speak up! Anyone who feels the need to speak, let them through!"

There was another pause, and Lionblaze fully expected no cat to come up, but he was wrong. A single cat to to its paws and began to slowly pad forward, eyes narrowed in burning anger. Lionblaze felt a thrill of terror for the only cat brave enough to speak out against Hollystar.

Cinderheart.

"No!" he yowled, stepping forward to block her passage. "What are you doing? Go back to the nursery."

Her blue eyes were cold. "Don't speak to me. Someone needs to do this, and no one else seems to want to."

"Not true!" Ashfoot got to her paws to go and stand by Cinderheart's side. _So I was right about you, _he thought as he stared blankly at the WindClan she-cat. "I'll stand by your side, too."

"So will I!" Heathertail pressed forward, her single kit, Splashkit, at her side. Lionblaze saw with a strange dropping sensation in his belly that this kit had the exact same color eyes as Heathertail did. "My kit doesn't deserve to live in this kind of world! Breezepelt!" She twisted her head around to call her mate. "Come with us!"

Breezepelt's eyes were wide and frightened. He took a step backward. "I...I..."

Heathertail's eyes widened.

"Father?" Splashkit called. "Breezepelt?"

"He won't come with you, rat," Hollystar laughed caustically. "He belongs to _me. _You all do. All Clans are _mine._"

"Not us," Cinderheart hissed. "I belong to no cat. I'm leaving these Clans. Whoever wants to come with me can."

_"No!" _Hollystar spat. "You can't leave! I won't allow it!"

"Then come down and stop us!" Ashfoot snarled. "You can't do it yourself!"

Lionblaze watched with a sense of building dread. _Can I fight my own mate to protect the code and the Clan? _He closed his eyes and let out a sharp breath.

There was a fierce snarling sound in the corner, and Lionblaze whipped his head towards the sound just in time to see Beechfur struggling to hold down a writhing Jayfeather. The gray tabby's fur was ruffled, but he was fighting as hard as he could, his chest heaving.

Hollystar watched him distastefully. "Hold him down," she ordered. "Blackfoot, Onewhisker, guard the camp entrance!"

The two former leaders moved forward and stood in front of the bramble tunnel, crouching down to spring at anyone who came close.

"Does anyone else have anything to add?" she asked loudly, locking eyes with almost every cat in the Clan. "Anything at all?"

Lionblaze bared his teeth as he saw his chance. "I do!" he cried, getting to his paws and running up the rockpile, his heart feeling like it was going to burst out of his chest. His claws scraped roughly over the stones as he scrabbled for a hold. After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the top of the Highledge and was facing down Hollystar.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, her voice scathing and her eyes widened incredulously. "Get back down where I ordered you!"

"No!" he snarled, glad that his voice did not quaver. "This is enough, Hollystar! You can't be allowed to do this anymore." He took a step towards her, crouching low over the ground.

"You mean to attack me?" she hissed. "You, my most loyal warrior? Have you lost your mind?"

"No, I've had enough of this! Today is the last time you'll see the sun!" He moved forward quickly, unsheathing his claws so that they squealed terribly across the smooth face of the Highledge. "Any last words?"

Hollystar's eyes were glinting in the dim light of the setting sun, but Lionblaze was close enough to see her give him a small nod, as if of respect. She leaned down and raked her claws at him, her blow swinging wide.

It was then that Lionblaze struck—just as her throat twisted away from him, he lashed out and sank his fully unsheathed claws into the soft black fur of her throat.

Hollystar let out a gurgled cry, trying to lash her claws at him, but every blow was aimed too wide.

Baring his teeth, Lionblaze used his hind paws to knock her paws out from underneath her, exposing her belly. He dragged his claws all the way down her throat, spilling crimson blood down her chest as he raked his claws across her belly, all the way down to her tail, ripping her flesh in a way he knew StarClan wouldn't be able to heal.

Amazingly, Hollystar got her paws back underneath her, standing up, her throat torn and ravaged. She leaned onto Lionblaze's shoulder, his claws still in her belly, and whispered, "You will be a hero now, Lionblaze...the hero who...who saved the forest...from Hollystar: the enemy of all Clans. The enemy...of every cat...in the forest." She pressed her paw into the free-bleeding wounds down her chest, soaking the black fur with blood. She lifted a terribly-shaking paw to rest it on the side of his face, leaving it there for a heartbeat. "My...brother..."

With one last rip, he pulled his bloody claws out of her pelt, flicking his paw to send a splash of blood against the stone at his paws, coloring the stone with a pattern of scarlet drops. He stepped back, his eyes narrowed as Hollystar struggled on the ground.

Hollystar turned around and stared blankly into the crowd, each face a shocked, blank mask. Moving slowly, stumbling over her own paws, she walked towards the rockpile as if she meant to go down it. Her paws caught on the first stone, and she tumbled down the rocks, leaving a smeared trail of blood down the smooth rocks, before coming to a stop right at Jayfeather's paws.

"H-Hollystar?" he asked, his voice faint, as he looked closely at his sister.

Lionblaze felt as if he was frozen in place as he watched Jayfeather's expression intensify, and he leaned over Hollystar's limp form, reaching out with one paw to press against her forehead. His eyes closed and his mouth moved as if he was speaking to her.

Hollystar fought for breath, her chest heaving as she mewed one last thing to her brother, before her form became still, silent as ice, and her spirit passed on forever more.

The cats watching were still in a stunned silence. Finally, Ashfoot came forward, standing in front of the rest of the crowd and declared, "Hollystar the monster is dead! Release the prisoners!"

"WindClan, to me!" Onestar hissed, his eyes cleared for the first time in moons. "We're leaving this cursed place! Hollystar is no more! The forest is free!"

Beechfur, who had been holding down Jayfeather and had moved back when Hollystar's body came crashing down the rockpile, was slowly blinking his eyes and turning his head as if he didn't know why he was there.

Cinderheart's jaw was dropped, and she was staring at Hollystar's body as if she had never seen anything like it in her life.

_Well, no one has, _Lionblaze thought blankly, his mind not seeming to work the way he wanted to. He remained on the Highledge, the words of Leopardstar echoing in an unending loop in his head. _You will kill a member of your Clan, _the RiverClan leader had told him gravely. He hadn't wanted to believe her, but now...now he had no choice.

"Lionblaze, you saved us." Mistyfoot's voice was soft, her face a strange mixture of horror and relief. "If you need anything...RiverClan will be there."

"Yes, the united Clans are no more," he mewed, softly, but loud enough for the rest of the cats to hear. "They were an abomination to the warrior code, and will never be formed again!"

Cheers rose up from the cats watching as Clans reformed, mates were reunited with mates, brothers with sisters, mothers with kits...all around cats were rejoicing the death of the cat who had nearly single-pawedly destroyed the warrior code and all that it meant to be a Clan.

Lionblaze looked down at his bloodstained paws, feeling the stickiness of drying blood between his claws, but couldn't bring himself to clean them. _It's just like you wished, Hollystar, _he whispered in his mind, hoping that his voice would find her spirit.

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**Sad, huh? I kinda depressed myself writing this. Hollystar's actions will become a lot clearer in the next chapter--don't you worry. See what I meant about not being too quick to judge Hollystar's insanity? No? Haha, just wait til the next chapter--you'll see. ^^**

**R&R~**

**Shadow**


	30. Chapter 28

**I have been freaking _dreaming _about writing this chapter ever since I decided to shift the plot around a bit. I, personally, think that this is a really cool chapter, albeit one that is quite short by my standards. It's about 3,200 words, and I normally aim for at least 4K. **

**But, on a side note, the movie/musical Sweeney Todd? Absolutely an hour and a half full of AMAZING. I even changed my icon from my dear Lelouch to Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett. I'm not sure how old all of you guys are, so I can't _really_ recommend it, but if you've seen it, you are among the lucky ones. ^^ It's pretty freaking amazing. **

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Beechfur's claws dug into Jayfeather's pelt as the medicine cat struggled to get away. _He's got me, _Jayfeather thought, _I can't get loose. _"Get off of me," he hissed to the tabby RiverClan warrior, but Beechfur's eyes were narrowed, and Jayfeather knew he wouldn't defy Hollystar.

He heard his sister's voice over the sound of his own thrashing. "Hold him down. Blackfoot, Onewhisker, guard the camp entrance! Does anyone else have anything to add? Anything at all?" The words rang with sarcasm and a thinly-veiled threat.

Jayfeather sank his teeth into Beechfur's paw, not letting go even when the RiverClan warrior cuffed him across the muzzle. Jayfeather just closed his eyes and took the blow, almost missing it when Lionblaze yowled, "I do!"

Stunned, Jayfeather wrenched his head around enough to see the golden warrior charging up the rockpile, his eyes narrowed. _What is he doing? He's going to get himself killed!_

"What is the meaning of this?" He clearly hear the astonishment in Hollystar's voice. The angle was too wide of Jayfeather to see anymore than Lionblaze's tail and Hollystar's pricked ears. "Get back down where I ordered you!"

"No!" Jayfeather heard the panicked note in Lionblaze's voice as he protested against Hollystar. "This is enough, Hollystar! You can't be allowed to do this anymore!" The golden tail tip vanished as Lionblaze stepped towards the ThunderClan leader.

"You mean to _attack _me?" Hollystar's voice was sharp. "You, my most loyal warrior? Have you lost your mind?"

"No, I've had enough of this! Today is the last time you'll see the sun." There was a pause, and all Jayfeather could hear was his own panicked heartbeat. "Any last words?"

_No! Don't do this! Don't fight her! _Jayfeather squirmed with renewed vigor as he heard the telltale sounds of a fight—snarls erupted as the scrape of claws on stone sounded. The fight only lasted a few heartbeats before Jayfeather heard the most horrific sound of his life, and knew instantly what it meant.

Someone had lost the battle.

There was a choked-off cry of pain and shock, then an icy silence.

_What's going on? _he wanted to ask, but he couldn't seem to find his voice. Every moment felt as sluggish as a dream, and it felt like he was numb from the neck down. Just as he opened his mouth to break the unnatural silence, Hollystar came into view.

At once, he knew something was wrong. Her eyes were slightly out-of-focus, and the whole front of her from the neck down as wet-looking, as if she had leapt into a shallow stream. _Blood_. She locked eyes with him, opening her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Tottering forward a pawstep, she set her paws on the first tier of the rockpile. Suddenly, her strength gave out, and she fell head-first down the remaining steps, crashing to a thudding stop right in front of Jayfeather.

"H-Hollystar?" he asked tentatively, feeling like a frightened kit.

Hollystar's eyes were slitted, only a single sliver of green visible behind the lids. "Jay...feather?" Her voice was weak and uneven, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths past her torn chest.

"Hollystar? Hollystar?" He lifted a paw, reaching out to touch her, but held back, afraid. _I can't read her memories anymore, _he realized with a choked gulp. _How can I bring myself to touch her after all she's done?_

_"Jayfeather, I am here." _

He closed his eyes, letting the familiar voice wash over him. _Blackflower._

_"Yes. Silverblaze gave you my message? About the Three?"_

_Our powers..._

_"Yes. Soon to be gone."_

_'Soon to be?'_

_"I will give you one last chance with your power. Use it to uncover the truth...to seek the true knowledge."_

"True knowledge," Jayfeather echoed softly, before placing his paw gently on Hollystar's head and closing his eyes.

At once, a memory as strong as a badger's claws gripped him, pulling him back into the past, air whooshing past his ears at a screaming pitch. The ground lurched beneath him, sending him flying into midair, and he let out a yowl of shock, before being tossed to the ground like a limp piece of fresh-kill.

His head spun, and he shook it several times to try and rearrange his thoughts. Just as he was heaving himself to his paws, he heard voices coming from a nearby clump of brambles. He stumbled towards them, not paying attention to where he was going until he was tumbling down a slope, tail over nose.

He shot down the slope, narrowly missing a large rock, before skidding to a stop, his claws outstretched. _Where am I? _he thought, peering through the dark shadows surrounding the bases of the trees. An unmoving lump of fur caught his attention, and he padded over to see a knocked-out Owlwhisker."Great StarClan!" he gasped, reaching out to press his paw against the WindClan cat's bleeding throat, but his paw passed right through him as if he were a cat made of smoke.

_Ah, that's right. _It really was a memory, he reminded himself, turning around with his ears pricked. The voices were louder now—loud enough for Jayfeather to distinguish them as Lionblaze's and Hollystar's.

"Yes. I know it's a lot, but please. You're the only one I can trust with this. Please."

Jayfeather was shocked to hear his sister—his _crazy, _tyrannicalsister—sound so close to begging.

"What is it, then?" Lionblaze demanded wearily, his voice blank and dull.

Jayfeather padded full into the clearing, knowing they wouldn't be able to see him. He'd walked in dreams long enough to know that he was invisible to the others unless he was in StarClan.

"This will change everything forever," Hollystar murmured, flicking her tail nervously behind her. "Only you can do this, Lionblaze. Only you."

"What is it?" Lionblaze repeated, his voice shaking slightly as if he didn't want to know the answer to his question.

"I need you to kill me. You must promise."

Jayfeather sat down hard, barely breathing as he watched the play of emotion in front of him—Hollystar, an icy calm, and Lionblaze, a blind, angry panic.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed. "You are, aren't you? I can't do that! You're my sister! My littermate! If I did that—"

"Lionblaze, calm down." Hollystar's eyes were slitted in concentration. "I've been thinking about this for a long time. I spoke to Brambleclaw once, and he told me that the Clans needed something to focus on to snap them out of this cycle of hatred and lies." She lifted her eyes to Lionblaze. "I can be that something. I know I can do this."

"But..." Lionblaze trailed off, his eyes filled with sorrow. "I can't kill you...I won't."

"You _will, _Lionblaze. You must...for the good of the Clans and the future! Do you know how long I've thought over the possibilities of these actions?" She turned her face away, a shaky breath breaking through her calm mask. When she faced him again, she was in control again. "As planned, the hatred of the entire forest is directed upon me. And now all that remains," she mewed intensely, "is to get rid of me."

Lionblaze looked as shocked as Jayfeather felt.

"With my death, all the Clans will be able to talk openly without fear of persecution. Together, with this behind them, the Clans can move forward into a brighter future."

"But...Hollystar, your death will change nothing!"

"It will...more than you can imagine, Lionblaze." Hollystar sat very still, barely even breathing.

"No—"

"Yes," she cut him off. "I plan on doing this for the Clan's sake...for all the Clans' sakes."

"I..."

"For your kits' future, Lionblaze." Her eyes grew warmer—warmer than Jayfeather could remember them being for a long time. "For them, you must do this. Accept it, my brother. You must promise me."

Lionblaze dropped his gaze, his amber eyes confused. "I...I will do it. For my kits."

Hollystar closed her eyes and dipped her head. "Thank you," she breathed. "You will be a hero to them—to ThunderClan, and to the other Clans. The hero who saved them from me: the enemy to all. ThunderClan's next great leader will be _you, _Lionstar." She padded forward, close enough to press her nose delicately against her brother's.

Lionblaze returned the gesture, closing his eyes again and letting out a long sigh. "What about Jayfeather? Will we tell him?"

"No," she answered instantly. "We can't endanger him. He must stay on the outside of this plan—it's the safest thing for him. He must be kept safe. Our time is coming to an end, Lionblaze. StarClan have predicted it...we existed for this—to unite the Clans in a _real _bond—and then to give up our powers." She turned to him again, faint amusement in her eyes. "Yours and Jayfeather's are already gone. This is a sign that I'm taking the right path—that I still have my powers."

"What about StarClan?"

She laughed softly. "This is the second time you've asked me that question, Lionblaze, and I have a very different answer this time. I don't know what they think, but I feel as if they are guiding me. For the next few moons, you must be by my side as my deputy. It will make you hated, yes, but when you finish me off...you will be a hero."

"What if I can't do it?" Lionblaze asked desperately. "What then?"

"You can do it," she mewed firmly. "I know in my heart you can. You must make sure that you kill me in one blow—all the way down my belly like Scourge killed Tigerstar. I won't come back."

"Hollystar..."

"Be strong for just a little longer, Lionblaze." She turned away, looking up at the sky. "We must be going now. Remember your promise."

Jayfeather felt like a cat made of ice as the scene played out in front of him. _They...planned it? They left me out...to protect me?_

The ThunderClan camp returned with a whooshing sound, ruffling Jayfeather's pelt. His paws shook as he looked down at the bloody scrap of fur that was his sister. "You...protected me? You did all this...for the Clan?" He leaned down closer to look into her dimming eyes.

She tried to lift her head, but the motion was too much for her. She fell back onto the ground with a sigh. "I...hoped you would...understand," she rasped. "I knew...you would."

"Of course I understand." He crouched down beside her, sorrow tearing at his heart. "Hollystar...you were a brave cat. The others might hate you...but I'll know...the true reason. I have the true knowledge."

Hollystar laughed slightly, barely a hitched gasp, and mewed, "I...destroyed the Clans...and created them...anew." Her last word was a long, peaceful sigh. Her eyes closed slowly, and she was still.

Jayfeather could only stare down at the broken form of his sister. He knew that she had lost all nine lives at once. _The price was too high, _he thought with a choked gasp, pulling his paw slowly back from her forehead. _You saved the Clans, and no one will ever know. _

"Hollystar, the monster is dead!" The cry came from somewhere distantly behind him. "Release the prisoners!"

Cheers rose up behind him, cats from all Clans rejoicing together about the death of the cat who had nearly destroyed everything it was to be a Clan. _They're wrong. Dead wrong, but I can't tell anyone. _He was sure of the thought: only he and Lionblaze could ever know about Hollystar's secret.

Somehow, Leafpool was at his side, staring blankly down at her daughter, every hair on her pelt on edge. "How?" she choked out. "Why would she do this? What could make her turn like this?"

"She...must have thought she had some reason," Jayfeather answered slowly.

"She was evil," Leafpool whispered. "She was going to kill the Clans."

"No," Jayfeather argued vehemently. "She was _not _evil!"

"What would you call it?" Leafpool's voice was sad. "She broke the leaders, turned the warriors against them, desecrated the warrior code..."

Jayfeather brushed his paw down Hollystar's cooling flank. "She deserves a vigil." _She deserves more than that, _he thought. _She deserves to live...she was so young. She was a brilliant cat. _

"No cat will sit vigil for her," Leafpool pointed out softly. "No one will say the words over her."

"I will." Lionblaze leapt down the rockpile, staring at Hollystar with wide amber eyes. "I'm...I'm leader now, anyway. I'll say the words."

"Of course." Leafpool dipped her head to him, walking away from the body of Hollystar with her tail low.

"Wait! Leafpool!" Jayfeather ran after her, panting slightly as he caught up with her. "Wait, you said you had something to tell me...so many moons ago. You never told me."

Leafpool looked faintly surprised. "That was the day you came home and told me you had gotten your sight back. Are you going to tell me the story behind that?"

Jayfeather shuffled his paws. "I told you all I could."

"Secrets," she sighed, flicking her tail for him to sit next to her. "Okay...I'll tell you where I've been going all those times I wasn't in the den."

_To Crowfeather, _he thought darkly, but sat down all the same.

As if she had read his mind, she frowned slightly. "I haven't...been to WindClan."

"Right," he mewed caustically.

"It's true," she snapped, with a hint of her old temper. "I'd been visiting the Moonpool almost daily then."

"_What_?" Jayfeather got to his paws. "The Moonpool? What for?"

Leafpool's amber eyes were sharp. "Sit down! We'll get suspected!"

"There's no need for that anymore. Hollystar's dead," he said harshly.

Leafpool sighed minutely, then beckoned for him to sit down again. "I've been sneaking away to speak with StarClan—trying to see if they would tell me anything about...the circumstances." She paused, then proceeded quickly, "StarClan told me that trials would be coming to ThunderClan, but they didn't tell me how or when. I tried to keep asking them—Bluestar, Yellowfang, Spottedleaf—but they all told me the same thing: trials and tribulations to be endured for the good of the Clan."

Jayfeather's mind whirled. "So...you knew this was going to happen?"

She shook her head. "I had no idea, but I knew _something _was going to happen. And when Hollystar announced her plan at that Gathering—" She cut off abruptly, turning her face away.

"It's all over now," Jayfeather mewed to her, trying to sound gentle. "There will be peace now."

Leafpool's eyes lit with warmth. "I hope so," she mewed, looking past his shoulder at Hollystar's prone form, a gasp rising to her throat.

Jayfeather whipped his head around to see Crowfeather and Breezepelt looking down at Hollystar, their faces stark contrasts. Breezepelt was glaring down at the limp form, hatred burning in his amber gaze. Crowfeather had a look of pity upon his thin face, and his eyes were sad as he looked at his dead daughter.

Leafpool's eyes were wide as she watched the exchange, but she didn't dare go any closer, especially with the leaders back in power. "Go on, then. You can go see to the queens." She got to her paws, shaking out her pale tabby pelt, then padded away to her den without a backward glance.

Jayfeather watched her go, flicking his tail slightly, but he didn't go to the queens. Instead, he padded past the cats from other Clans, still relieved and stunned by the sudden death of their tyrannical leader, and into the forest, where the cool greenness soothed him.

_Well, Blackflower, it looks like I owe you again, _he mewed in his mind, knowing that the black-and-white she-cat would hear him.

Sure enough, her faint outline appeared in front of him, her pale eyes the brightest point on her misty form. "Don't worry about it," she mewed, lifting her head. "This one's on me."

"Why did you help me?" he demanded. "You hate ThunderClan, and yet you help me many times over—teaching me herbs, healing Squirrelflight, and now this...what are you thinking?"

"You reunited me with Silverblaze," she pointed out. "I'll owe you forever for that one." She grimaced slightly, as if the words had left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Can you do me one more favor?" Jayfeather's voice was eager.

Blackflower looked vaguely surprised. "Alright," she agreed. "What is it?"

"Where's Hollystar? Where's my sister?"

Blackflower's eyes slitted. "Why, she's in your camp." She flicked her tail towards the stone hollow.

Jayfeather spat angrily. "You know what I mean."

She dropped her gaze suddenly, her fur bristling along her spine. "It's not something you need to worry yourself with."

"What?" Jayfeather's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? We're talking about Hollystar's spirit here! Is she in StarClan or the dark forest?"

Blackflower sighed again, tilting her head up to look at Jayfeather irritably. "Look, kit, I don't keep tabs on all the cats that ever lived, alright? I have my own life—or _lack_ of one—to deal with."

"Tell me!" Jayfeather leapt towards her, his claws unsheathed. "She was a hero; she deserves to be in StarClan!"

Blackflower's eyes flamed. "StarClan is full of cowards!" she spat. "Your sister would be luckier out of that place."

Jayfeather closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Trying a different strategy, he mewed, "Will you tell me if she's found peace?"

Blackflower narrowed her eyes again. "She has," she answered finally. "I suppose you'll have to see her around someday to figure out the answer to your question yourself, hm?"

Jayfeather opened his mouth to protest, then closed it slowly. Blackflower had answered the important part of his question, and that was all that mattered. If Hollystar's spirit could rest peacefully, that was all he needed to know. "Thank you."

Blackflower's eyes softened slightly, and she dipped her head. "See you around, kit," she mewed gruffly, disappearing like a flash of lightening. Only a ruffling wind showed that she had ever been there in the first place—that and the memory of the familiar gleam of her icy blue eyes.

Jayfeather laughed softly, feeling his spirits lift just slightly. "Yeah. See you around, Blackflower." He turned around and headed back to the camp, his mind filled with Hollystar's strong, kind face. _You win today, Hollystar. Your plan worked like they always do. _He flicked his tail across the dry ground, hearing the rattling of dead leaves._ I'll see you again one day, Hollystar. I look forward to it. _

* * *

**Aw, sad ending, no? I'm currently working on the epilogue, so expect it in like, twenty minutes. :P And then...this one is DONE! I think it took me about a month or two to write this? Maybe a little more than that. I dunno! I hope you guys enjoyed this fic, because writing almost 100K words in fact does aggrevate sprained wrists. Just a little FYI there. XD**

**And now, it is safe for me to tell you which anime I based this off of, as the fic is now almost over. None of you guys guessed, which was a little surprising, 'cept for Fwirl, but she knew all along. :P Drum roll, please!**

**-drum roll- **

**:P And the answer is...**

**Code Geass! **

**Hollystar is Lelouch, and Jayfeather is Nunnally, and Lionblaze is Suzaku! This fic was already so much like Code Geass by accident that I barely had to change the plot around! How nifty is that? Have you seen Code Geass? It is 100% freaking amazing! It changed my world, for real. You should totally go and watch it right now. Not to mention that the guy who does Lelouch's voice is the same one that does Kiba's from Wolf's Rain. How cool is that? :P**

**R&R~**

**Shadow**


	31. Epilogue

**Aw, this is the end. I'm a little depressed, but a whole lot relieved. Now, I can finish up my other fics! Woot! **

**And here we go! Epilogue time!**

* * *

Greenleaf was in full bloom in the lake territories, sending the fresh scent of new growth across all four Clans. Prey ran thick through the woods and across the moors, every elder and kit well-fed and plump.

A golden tabby at the head of a patrol, jaws full of prey, padded into ThunderClan's camp, dropping his three mice in an already-large pile of prey. He licked his lips, nodding to the patrol behind him. "Good work, Rosefall," he praised. "You, too, Briarpelt."

The two she-cats purred happily. "Thanks, Lionstar!" Briarpelt mewed happily. "I can't wait to tell Bumblestripe and Blossomfall!"

"Well, go ahead," Lionstar mewed, amusement in his amber eyes. "We wouldn't want to keep them waiting."

The dark brown she-cat padded off quickly, her tail high in the air.

"I'll go tell Graystripe you're back," Rosefall meowed, trotting off towards the warriors' den.

Lionstar watched the Clan's bustling activity with a glowing sense of pride. There had been no conflict between the Clans for nearly six moons—ever since Hollystar gave up her life to protect the peace of the lake territories. He sighed as he thought fondly of the sister that almost everyone else in the forest seemed to hate with a brutal passion.

Dustpelt and Sandstorm were lounging outside of the elders' den, side by side with Longtail. Lionstar padded over to them, his eyes gleaming with humor. "How are the two hardest working cats in the Clan today?" he teased.

Sandstorm purred a raspy laugh, but Dustpelt narrowed his eyes. "I can still flay your hide, Lionstar," he grumbled. "Don't forget that."

"Of course not," he mewed swiftly. "Where's Brambleclaw?" The dark tabby was nowhere to be seen.

"He's out with Squirrelflight," Sandstorm answered, a yawn interrupting her words. "They go out almost every day now. He's getting so much stronger—his limp's only barely noticeable."

"That's great!" Lionstar purred. "I'll come back and check on him soon. Can you tell him that for me?"

"Tell him yourself," Dustpelt growled, tucking his nose back under his tail.

Taking that as an affirmative, Lionstar dipped his head to the elders and padded towards the medicine den, nearly colliding with Jayfeather. "Watch it, mousebrain," Jayfeather snapped, glaring at Lionstar.

Still not totally used to seeing his littermate look at him so clearly, Lionstar quickly said, "Sorry, Jayfeather."

"Hmph." Jayfeather started to walk past him towards a very round-looking Honeyfern. Berrynose sat next to her, worriedly asking her how she felt. _First-time father, _Lionstar thought fondly, looking at the fuss the cream warrior was making.

"Wait! Jayfeather, wait!" He ran up to his brother, stepping in front of him.

"What?" he demanded, looking around Lionstar's shoulder. "I'm a little busy, you know."

"Have you seen _her?_" Lionstar whispered, his eyes darting around the clearing.

Jayfeather frowned. "No," he muttered at last, "I haven't. And StarClan have said nothing to me about her."

Lionstar sighed, turning away. _How can I lead this Clan without knowing where Hollystar rests? _he questioned himself. _Is she happy where she is? Is she proud of how I'm doing?_

"Well, I'll keep an eye out," Jayfeather mewed, flicking Lionstar with the tip of his tail. "Good?"

Happy to see his brother understood what he and Hollystar had planned, he let out a purr. "All good." He watched Jayfeather bend down to press his paws gently to Honeyfern's huge belly, his head tilted as if he was listening to the unborn kits.

Turning around to head towards the nursery, he nearly collided with his apprentice, Rainpaw.

"S-sorry, Lionstar," the gray-speckled tom mewed, shaking his head. "I didn't see you."

"Bustling off to get Dustpelt some more moss?" he asked good-humoredly.

"No, I was racing."

"Oh? Your sister?" Lionstar looked up to see Oakpaw hiding behind the bramble screen to the medicine den. "Oakpaw, wasn't Poppyfrost looking for you?"

At the mention of her mentor, Oakpaw dashed out of her hiding place, her fur fluffed up. "Oh, no! I forgot! Bye, Rainpaw!" she mewed hastily as she raced out of the camp and into the deep green forest.

"Ha! I win!" Rainpaw declared.

"And as your prize for wasting time and making cats trip over you, you can clear the moss from the elders' den," Lionstar mewed sternly, inwardly amused at the little apprentice's shocked look.

Rainpaw narrowed his dark blue eyes, turning around and storming off towards the den with his tail stiff out behind him.

Lionstar laughed softly as he watched the serious apprentice come out with his first ball of soiled moss. _He's very responsible, _he mused. _He'll be a great warrior._

"Gotcha!"

Lionstar was sent sprawling as a soft, warm weight hit him firmly in the belly, sending him crashing to his side.

"Wha...? Ah, it's _you._" He made his voice fake-scared. "Don't hurt me!"

A fluffy gray kit with amber eyes looked at him brightly, her tail swishing behind her. "I really got you, Father!" she crowed. "Over here! I got him!"

Two more furry bundles hit him, knocking the wind out of him. "Hey, now, I need to be able to breathe." He gently pushed them off and got to his paws, looking fondly down at his kits.

The ginger tabby with blue eyes was his youngest and only son, Redkit. Beside him sat his more subdued sister, Amberkit, a pale cream kit with Lionstar's eyes. As he watched, the last kit, a fluffy gray she-kit with amber eyes, pounced on his tail again.

"Now, now." Cinderheart came padding after the kits, gently tugging the she-kit off of her mate's tail. "That's enough, Hollykit."

Hollykit looked up at her mother mutinously. "We were playing," she complained.

"We got Lionstar really well, Cinderheart!" Amberkit piped up, her pelt bristling with excitement.

Redkit, not to be outdone, stepped forward and added, "He didn't see us coming."

"That's all very well," Cinderheart mewed patiently, "but I told you it was time to settle in for the night."

"It's not even sunset yet!" Hollykit exclaimed.

"It's close enough." Cinderheart's voice was firm. "Go on now. I need to talk to your father."

The three kits went unwillingly, throwing angry glances back over their shoulders at their mother. "It's beautiful at this time of year, isn't it?"

"It is," he agreed, leaning his shoulder against Cinderheart and taking in her comforting scent. "I'm glad the fresh-kill pile is so well-stocked. We won't need to worry about prey thieves."

"We didn't have to before," she pointed out. "Not since...that day. The Clans are finally peaceful. It's the least that lying she-cat could do," she spat.

"Cinderheart, Hollystar wasn't evil."

"Holly_kit _is going to have a rough life with a name like that," Cinderheart mewed, ignoring what her mate had just said. "I don't know why you insisted on naming her that."

"Hollystar was a great leader; she deserves to live on in the Clan."

"Hm," was all that Cinderheart said as she leaned her head against Lionstar's shoulder. "I'm so proud of our kits. They'll be assets to the Clan one day."

"Soon," he told her. "I plan on making them apprentices tomorrow night."

"So soon?" Cinderheart pulled back to stare at him. "Isn't it a little too soon? If you make them warriors too early—"

"StarClan, you like to worry," Lionstar teased. "There's no war anymore, remember? Our kits will be safe now. It's just like...well, it's just like I said." He thought back, as he usually did, to that day when he had sworn to take Hollystar's life to protect his kits. _They're safe because of you. _

"Well, anyway," Cinderheart mewed, turning back to watch the sun set. "I'm so proud of you. You're a great leader, you know."

_Even without my powers, _he thought, his mind wandering. Jayfeather's powers were completely gone now, as well. He couldn't walk in dreams anymore, but he had gained his sight in return. _I got to be leader when I gave up _my _powers. But what did Hollystar get? She had to die to lose her powers...that doesn't sound fair at all to me. _He tipped his head back look at the brightest members of StarClan that shone even through the red sky. _Are you up there, Hollystar? Watching over us like you did when you were alive? I'll miss you, my sister._

Lionstar turned his head to look down at his mate, and then past her to the Clan. Peace was here, he thought happily. _Isn't that right, Hollystar?_

* * *

**And that, my readers, is the end of Shattered. I know I left some loose ends--Sol, Onestar, Mistyfoot--but now you can fill them in! I love open-ended endings! So much room for imagination! **

**So, I'd like to give a big thanks to all of you awesome people who actually read, liked, or reviewed this loverly fic. You guys are really, super-fantabulous! Thanks for dealing with my possibly long-winded ANS, and perservering through my crappish filler chapters. And to you CCers...-hugs- I love concrit. :P I have to say, I was pretty surprised that I haven't ever gotten a flame, as most I see get at least one. But, I guess that's a good thing. :D**

**So now...I'm not really sure what to say. There won't be a third, and I probably won't be writing Warriors fics anymore, as I don't think the series is very interesting anymore. I might check out the Fourth Apprentice, but after the whole "Ashfur-was-the-traitor" thing, I was quite disappointed that the series had become that predictible. I love those books that keep you guessing and take you by surprise, y'know? I tried to make this one like that, so I hope you were caught by surprise at a few plot twists, and if you weren't...sorry? :P**

**Check out my other fics, guys! I got me a Pokemon one up now, too! ^^**

**Aaww, so R&R for the last time, my friends. :(**

**Shadow**

* * *

****Edit** **

**I've noticed that some of you have been asking about Hollykit and her, er, history. I left the ending open like this so that _you _could decide what you think happened. I personally do not believe that Hollykit is Hollystar reincarnate, but whatever you want to think, you go ahead and think it, darn it. :D**


	32. AN

**So.**

**I really lied about not writing another story it seems, and I know that some of you were asking if I was going to write a continuation off of this one, so... I am. ^.^ I already have a few chapters of it posted. I didn't even think to make an AN at the end of the other one, since most of you guys who liked this one are still on alerts. ****Hopefully you'll stick with me and concrit my new story "Salvation." I'd really, really appreciate it!**

**And now I have to go furiously study math. I'm about to have a major cram session. ^.^'**

**Shadow~**


End file.
